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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23282143">The Phoenix Project</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekymoviemom/pseuds/geekymoviemom'>geekymoviemom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stargate - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Fluff and Angst, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Superfamily (Marvel), Superhusbands (Marvel), Tony Stark Has Trust Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:01:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>180,633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23282143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekymoviemom/pseuds/geekymoviemom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Langaran scientist Tony Stark believed he had created a solution that would not only solve Langara's energy crisis and potentially bring peace to a world decimated by decades of unrelenting war, but also save the life of his young son.</p><p>There were only two problems: convincing the Langaran Military Government to agree to his plan, and finding a pilot brave enough to accept the challenge.</p><p>Enter Steve Rogers, one of the best fighter pilots the Langaran Air Corps had ever seen, who while on the outside seemed to be a poster boy for the perfect soldier, on the inside harboured so much bitterness and regret that it left very little room for anything else.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Howard Stark &amp; Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, James "Rhodey" Rhodes &amp; Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Steve Rogers, Peter Parker &amp; Steve Rogers &amp; Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark, Steve Rogers &amp; Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Irondad Creators Awards 2021 - Nominations</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to my new superfamily story!  New chapters will post weekly until the story concludes.  😊</p><p>A huge thank you to my awesome friends allthesinnersandallthesaints and jehbeeeh for their help with prereading this prologue!  💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>The air around him was rife with smoke and the pungent smell of ozone, the buzz of his aircraft's engine a dull din to Joseph's ringing ears as he spun to avoid yet another enemy missile. He had already managed to score three kills in the dogfight that had been waging for over two hours, but those kills had come at the steep cost of almost all of his fuel and most of his armaments. At last count Joseph was down to only one remaining missile and maybe a hundred rounds of machine gun ammo, and so needed to play it extra safe just in case the enemy returned with fresh reinforcements.</p><p>"Holy shit, that was a close one, Rogers!" called the voice of Tomis Syler, one of Joseph's two wingmen. "You all right?"</p><p>"I'll be a lot better once you take this bastard out!" Joseph yelled back, grunting as he banked a hard left and curved into a dive, pulling up just in time to avoid crashing into the top of a mountain.</p><p>"Hold on, Joe, I've almost got him on missile lock!" shouted Chester Phillips, Joseph's other wingman as he flew past Joseph's left wing, ducking down underneath to come out behind him. Three seconds later another explosion rocked the aircraft, and Joseph watched through his canopy as the enemy plane impacted against the mountain in a burst of brilliant fireball.</p><p>"Is that it?" asked Tomis over the radio. "Did we finally get 'em all?"</p><p>"Beats me, but you know what Colonel O'Brien always says about bugging out early, so we probably should wait till we hear something official," answered Joseph. He sucked in a deep breath as he checked his fuel gauge, located right next to the printed photograph of his wife. "Just hope he doesn't take too long, I'm already almost running on fumes."</p><p>"Yeah, let's not piss off the Colonel again, gentlemen," agreed Chester as he took up position on Joseph's left, facing away from the mountain with Tomis falling into position on Joseph's right. "Last time I messed up he wouldn't let me fly again for an entire month."</p><p>"That's 'cause you showed up three minutes late to a briefing with your zipper still down, you idiot," said Tomis. "I mean, really. A toothpaste stain on your tie or something would've been better 'n that."</p><p>"Hey now, I know you're not trying to tell me that you've never had a quickie right before heading out the door, are you?"</p><p>"Well… yeah, I have, but not when I'm supposed to be on my way to a mission briefing, doofus!" Tomis insisted. "Dude, sometimes you just gotta suck it up!"</p><p>"Oh yeah, like you've never faced the wrath of O'Brien before!" protested Chester. "I seem to recall a very distinct failure on your part to properly recite the Langaran Air Corps Code of Conduct when you first joined up. You're pretty damn lucky that the Colonel didn't boot you out right then and there!"</p><p>"Well, not all of us can be as goody-two-shoes as First Lieutenant Joseph Rogers, right Joe?" said Tomis. "Has O'Brien personally offered to shine your flight boots yet?"</p><p>"Oh, shut the hell up, Tomis, will you?" called Joseph. "Maybe if you weren't always yapping when you should be listening, you'd be on O'Brien's good side too."</p><p>"Yeah, and I s'pose having a kid on the way doesn't factor in there at all, huh?" said Chester. "Say, you and Sarah pick out any names yet?"</p><p>Joseph instinctively grinned behind his oxygen mask, his eyes flicking back to the photograph of Sarah, her hands resting on top of her rounded belly. As a matter of fact, after going back and forth about it for pretty much the entire eight months of her pregnancy, he and Sarah had finally settled on their two name possibilities just the previous night.</p><p>"Yeah, I think we've finally got 'em nailed down," he said as he checked his fuel gauge again, wondering why they hadn't yet been called back to base. "Who would've thought it would be so tough?"</p><p>"Well, maybe 'cause the kid's gonna have it for their entire life?" asked Tomis. "I dunno, that sounds like kinda a big deal to me."</p><p>"That's just 'cause you got stuck with a name like Tomis," said Chester, followed by one of his characteristically loud guffaws that was thankfully muffled by the underlying buzz of the X-101's engines. "That'd be enough to make anyone wish they had more time to think of something."</p><p>"Oh, just shut up, will ya, Phillips? You just about blew my ears out with your stupid laugh!" Tomis barked back. "Now, c'mon Joe, tell us the names you guys picked!"</p><p>"Well, for a girl we're gonna go with Aisling," Joseph answered, only a bit sheepishly as he removed his mask, allowing it to dangle off to the side. "And if it's a boy, he'll be called Steven."</p><p>"Oh yeah," said Chester. "I really like those, Joe. Tell Sarah that they both have my official stamp of approval."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be thrilled," replied Joseph just as his radio crackled to life, followed by the sound of someone clearing their throat.</p><p>
  <em>Finally!</em>
</p><p>"Attention all Langaran air support aircraft," came the stern voice of Colonel Matthew O'Brien, commander of the Langaran Army Air Corps. "As of 1426 hours Langaran standard time, which by my watch was exactly three minutes and sixteen seconds ago, a ceasefire has been brokered that calls for an immediate halt of all hostilities between Langaran and Meridian forces in anticipation of a permanent peace treaty. All aircraft are hereby ordered to stand down and return to base immediately."</p><p>Several seconds of stunned silence followed O'Brien's command as Joseph and his two wingmen exchanged identical looks of shock. Joseph had been expecting an order to return to base, but the possibility of a ceasefire, a complete cessation of all military activities, was so remote that it hadn't even crossed his mind. The war between Langara and Meridia had been ongoing in some form or another for decades, longer than Joseph had even been alive, and to think that it was just suddenly over… well…</p><p>It was quite frankly, unbelievable.</p><p>"Aahh, did you guys just hear that?" Tomis said, his jaw hanging open so wide it looked unhinged. "'Cause with all the missiles we were firing earlier I'm thinking that my ears must've got messed up, so—"</p><p>"Nah, dude, you heard it right," said Chester. "Either that or I'm just as messed up as you are, which I will flat-out deny until my dying day, so—"</p><p>"All right, you heard the Colonel, gentlemen," Joseph cut in, grateful that his voice didn't betray his underlying skepticism. "Time to head back."</p><p>"Yeah, I copy."</p><p>"Copy that."</p><p>Since the nose of Joseph's aircraft was facing the mountain he allowed Chester and Tomis to peel off first, intending to fly around the mountain before falling into position since the slingshot manoeuvre required less fuel than a direct about-face.</p><p>"Hey Joe, where the hell're you going?" Chester called. "Base is in the other direction!"</p><p>"Just feel like doing a mountain fly-by since my fuel's getting low," said Joseph. "You guys go on, I'll see you back at the base."</p><p>"Yeah, okay," said Tomis. "But just remember that the first round's on me today, so don't keep us waiting too long, all right? You know how cranky Phillips gets when he doesn't get his post-flight tonic water! With a lime!"</p><p>"Oh will you just shut the hell up, Syler?" Chester snapped over the comm. "Everyone knows that a tonic water isn't worth a damn thing unless it's got at least two limes in it!"</p><p>Grinning, Joseph tilted slightly as he shifted around the mountain, rechecking his fuel gauge as he dipped into a wide crevasse, skimming just above the surface. Hopefully Colonel O'Brien would be too distracted by the ceasefire announcement to notice just how low he'd managed to run the fuel again. The X-101s were the most smooth and maneuverable aircraft that Joseph had ever flown—not to mention just downright <em>cool—</em>and he just couldn't seem to help himself from enjoying them whenever he had the chance to take one out.</p><p>Pulling out of the crevasse, Joseph grinned as he guided the aircraft back up, preparing to complete his turn around the mountain when he caught sight of something odd out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>"What the hell is that?" he muttered as he squinted off into the distance, trying to figure out exactly what he was seeing. It had to be another aircraft, that much was clear, but it wasn't any Meridian aircraft that he'd ever seen before, nor did it have any Langaran markings that were visible, at least from what Joseph could tell.</p><p>Regardless of who the aircraft belonged to, it appeared to be making a beeline towards the massive Langaran power plant facility located in one of the neighbouring mountains, which meant that Joseph needed to take it out. Immediately.</p><p>With the quickest of glances at his fuel gauge, Joseph steered the X-101 closer until he was within firing distance of the aircraft, scanning as best he could for any identifying markings and finding nothing. He huffed in frustration, activating his comm as he clipped the oxygen mask back over his face.</p><p>"Base, this is Lieutenant Rogers. Be advised, I'm checking out what appears to be a rogue aircraft that's on a direct course for the mountain power plant. Any info you could give me on this would be greatly appreciated."</p><p>"Uhh, you sure you got enough fuel to be doing that, Joe?" asked Tomis. "Thought you said you were getting low!"</p><p>"Cut out the damn chatter, Syler!" barked Colonel O'Brien. "Rogers, I've just been informed that all enemy aircraft have been pulled from Langaran airspace and we're not picking anything up on our radars either, so as far as we know there shouldn't be anything that's anywhere near the power plant. Are you absolutely sure that you're seeing what you're seeing?"</p><p>"I'm positive, Colonel, it's right the hell in front of me," Joseph said firmly, his heart leaping as the renegade aircraft made a sudden course correction, as though it was actively trying to avoid him. "Now, maybe it's just some kind of weather balloon that's malfunctioning or something but it's definitely heading directly for the power plant, so I'm gonna check it out."</p><p>"Copy that," O'Brien said with a sigh. "However, you are under strict orders not to engage without authorisation, Lieutenant, is that understood? We just managed to broker a ceasefire after almost thirty years of war, so the absolute last thing we need to be doing is violating it before the damn ink's even dry."</p><p>"Yes sir, I understand," Joseph answered as he sharply banked right, swerving around until he had once again manoeuvred directly behind the unknown aircraft.</p><p>"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" he murmured as the aircraft's back engine suddenly engaged with a near-deafening <em>boom</em>, causing Joseph to wince as he watched it begin to climb directly towards the sky. He quickly pulled up, swooping into a wide arc so he could backtrack his course in case it was planning to try and dive towards him.</p><p>But to Joseph's surprise the aircraft kept climbing, higher and higher until it had blended in with the bright beams from the sun. With fumbling fingers Joseph pulled down the sunshade on his helmet, grunting against the almost overwhelming brightness as he attempted to keep his eyes on the spot where it had disappeared.</p><p>Several seconds passed as Joseph waited, his eyes burning with the effort of looking into the white-hot sunlight until suddenly the aircraft appeared again, its afterburners going full-blast as it dove straight down, heading directly for the location of the power plant.</p><p>"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, blinking against his watery eyes as he took off racing towards it. He could no longer imagine any scenario where its intentions could be anything other than hostile since that power plant was the main source of electricity for almost the entire continent. "Base, I have eyes on the unidentified aircraft and it appears to be on a direct kamikaze course for the power plant. Do I have permission to fire?"</p><p>The pause that followed seemed to stretch on interminably, each passing second punctuated by a thud of Joseph's heart against his ribcage.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell could be taking so long?</em>
</p><p>"Base, please confirm receipt of transmission?" he barked into his comm. "The damn thing's getting really close!"</p><p>"Goddamnit, Rogers, we still can't see anything on the radar!" Colonel O'Brien shouted over the radio. "Are you absolutely positive about what you're seeing?"</p><p>"That's an affirmative!" Joseph called as he banked slightly to his left, attempting to achieve a missile lock. His thumb was trembling as it hovered over the trigger, his jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth were rattling as his display switched from red to green and the lock tone echoed throughout the canopy.</p><p>"I've got a lock, Colonel, it's now or never!"</p><p>"We're attempting to verify it now, Rogers!" O'Brien snapped. "Stand by!"</p><p>"But—!" Joseph said, the high-pitched tone reverberating throughout his head like a ping-pong ball. The attacking aircraft hadn't slowed down at all, and Joseph knew that he only had about ten more seconds until it would be past the point of no return.</p><p>"Sir, I absolutely cannot wait any longer! Do I have permission to fire?"</p><p>"Rogers, we're—"</p><p>But the Colonel was cut off as the enemy aircraft suddenly went into a full reverse-thrust, slowing its descent just in time to avoid crashing into the mountain as it released a small, square-shaped payload. Joseph gasped, running his tongue across his dry lips as he attempted to switch his lock from the aircraft to the payload.</p><p>"Colonel, the aircraft's released what appears to be a bomb of some kind!" Joseph yelled just as the lock tone sounded in his cockpit. "I'm attempting to take it out!"</p><p>Without waiting for a response Joseph pressed down on the trigger, holding his breath as the missile launched from its spot on the right wing, his eyes trained on the missile's fiery trail as it flew towards the bomb.</p><p>And the last thing that Joseph saw, just before a fireball half the size of the entire continent of Langara engulfed him in its searing heat, was the photograph of his beloved wife, Sarah, her small hands resting on top of the child she carried within her, knowing full well that he had just made her a widow.</p><p>
  <em>I'm so sorry, mo stór.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please, forgive me—</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>Six weeks post-Battle of the Continents</strong> </em>
</p><p>Howard flinched as the overhead lights suddenly cut out, plunging the entire house into near-pitch darkness. With a muffled curse he opened the top drawer of his desk, rummaging around until he located the small handlamp that Maria had purchased for him during her last shopping trip. The Langaran government had been issuing repeated alerts for the last two weeks, warning the continent's citizens that due to the ongoing energy crisis following the destruction of the main power plant six weeks prior that it would be instituting rolling blackouts. They had even included a schedule of the areas to be affected and when, but, as he usually did with anything government-related, Howard had simply chosen to ignore it, preferring not to be reminded of the day that his young son almost died on the operating table.</p><p>As it was, he very much hoped that Maria had been successful in getting Tony to sleep before the lights went out, as he seemed to have developed an irrational fear of the dark ever since his surgery, one that none of the doctors could seem to explain. He had been in the middle of the harrowing surgery, completely under the influence of very strong anaesthesia when the hospital suddenly lost power, and so should have been completely unaware of the chaos that had then ensued attempting to keep him alive until they could get the emergency generators online. There was absolutely no reason that Tony should've been at all aware of what was happening, or so Howard thought.</p><p>And yet, ever since he and Maria had brought Tony home two weeks after the attack, the boy had been absolutely terrified of the dark. It had gotten to the point where he was now refusing to sleep—to even close his eyes—unless there was a light on, and as he was still trying to recover from his complicated, nearly eight-hour surgery, he needed all the rest that he could get.</p><p>Pulling out the handlamp, Howard flicked it on, shining the bright beam of yellow light directly towards the door of his office just as Maria appeared in the doorway, letting out a surprised gasp as she threw her hand up to cover her eyes.</p><p>"So does this mean that you've actually located your handlamp?" she asked as she stepped inside the room, her own lamp clutched in her slender, piano-player fingers. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd remembered where you put it."</p><p>Howard scowled, jerking his head in the direction of Tony's bedroom.</p><p>"Did you manage to get him to sleep in time?"</p><p>"Just barely," Maria said, letting out a heavy sigh as she turned off her lamp. "I had to pry his fingers from my hand once he was, though."</p><p>"Mmm. Well, let's hope that it sticks," grumbled Howard. The blackout was already severely limiting his patience, leaving him unable to continue his research into a new power source that could potentially replace the destroyed power plant, and the last thing he needed at the moment was for Tony to wake up crying because he was scared. The boy was six already, it was far past the time for him to be bursting into tears every time something didn't go his way.</p><p>"How long is this blackout supposed to last anyway?" he asked.</p><p>"All night, which is what's worrying me," Maria answered. "And the batteries for the handlamps are so expensive, so it's not really feasible to keep Tony's on while he's sleeping, and yet—"</p><p>"No, don't be doing that," Howard cut in. "Maybe this'll be what he needs to finally get over all that nonsense about the dark. The boy is six, he shouldn't be still—"</p><p>"A six-year-old who's just had a major, life-threatening operation, Howard," Maria said. "And six isn't the same as sixteen, you know. There is quite a bit of difference."</p><p>"Sure there is, it's ten years. But when I was sixteen, I was already—"</p><p>"Yes, yes, my dear, I've heard that story already," said Maria. "By the time you were sixteen you were already living on your own—"</p><p>"Because I had a job—"</p><p>"A job running errands for a scientist," Maria finished, quirking an impatient eyebrow. "Who then—"</p><p>"Who then introduced me to the SHIELD science liaison to the Langaran military," Howard said firmly. "Who then proceeded to hire me to assist in the design and creation of the very aircraft that we currently have defending our skies."</p><p>"Yes, dear, I know that," Maria said softly, her fingers curling around Howard's hand. "But right now I don't really think that information is going to help Tony sleep through the night, so—"</p><p>She was cut off by a knock on their front door, a loud, rather insistent pounding that did not at all seem like someone who was just dropping by to call. Gulping, Howard drew Maria behind him, aiming his handlamp at the floor to light his path through their darkened home towards the door.</p><p>"Stay behind me," he whispered as he peered through the peephole, drawing back in surprise when he saw his SHIELD colleague Hank Pym standing between two burly Langaran Safety Officers. Howard sucked in a deep breath, attempting to school his features into his normal look of disdain undercut with just enough curiosity to not be noticeable that he wore whenever he had to deal with Pym and one of his many tantrums, outbursts that had grown even worse since the death of his wife.</p><p>"Good evening, officers," he said once he'd opened the door. "What can I do for you?"</p><p>"Are you Howard Stark, sir?" said the larger of the two Safety Officers as he pulled his ID badge from his breast pocket.</p><p>"Yes, I am," Howard said warily as he glanced at Pym, who was adamantly refusing to meet Howard's eyes. "But dare I say that I believe you knew that already, given that you're accompanied by my colleague here?"</p><p>Pym's eyes finally flicked up to Howard then, meeting them for only the briefest of moments before flitting away, but just long enough for a shiver to race down Howard's spine at the intense hatred hidden within them. Something was terribly amiss, and Howard didn't at all like it when things were amiss.</p><p>"Mr Stark, new evidence has recently been unearthed from the wreckage at the destroyed power plant, and if you don't mind, we'd like to ask you a few questions," said the officer. He stepped back, holding out his arm. "If you would come with us, please—"</p><p>"No, I will not," Howard said firmly, his eyes narrowing into a fierce glare. "As you may know, my young son is still trying to recover from nearly dying during his surgery on that fateful day, so I do not believe it would be in his best interests for me to leave the house at the moment."</p><p>"Nearly dying," Pym suddenly spoke up, his tone icy enough to freeze the blood in Howard's veins. "<em>Nearly </em>dying, eh, Stark? But yet your son didn't die, did he? Did he?"</p><p>"No, he didn't!" Howard exclaimed. "But you already knew that, Pym, so what's this all about?"</p><p>But Pym only shook his head, his upper lip curling into a sneer as he stepped back.</p><p>"I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist that you come with us, Mr Stark," the officer said, all attempts at politeness gone. "Now."</p><p>"And I respectfully decline," Howard stated. "As I just stated, my son is still recovering from surgery and in case you hadn't noticed, we are currently in the middle of a blackout."</p><p>The officer frowned, glancing towards his partner who reached behind him, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.</p><p>"Howard Stark, you are hereby under arrest for conspiring with the enemy to bomb the Langaran mountain power plant," he said. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be—"</p><p>"<em>What?" </em>exclaimed Howard, his jaw dropping in shock. He heard Maria gasp behind him, reaching for his arm just as the officer grabbed onto them, drawing his hands behind him. "But how can you possibly believe that I had anything to do with—?"</p><p>Suddenly a panicked shriek of "<em>Momma!"</em> pierced the air, causing Maria to jump back, her eyes widening in fear.</p><p>"Howard, no!" she gasped. "You can't—you can't go! Tony, he—!"</p><p>"I'm sorry Maria, but I'm afraid that Howard doesn't have a choice in the matter," said Pym, with such an air of superiority that Howard would've gladly decked him right in his abnormally large nose if his hands hadn't already been cuffed.</p><p>"But Hank, you can't possibly believe that Howard—?"</p><p>"<em>Momma!" </em>came Tony's cry from inside the house, piercing Howard's heart like a knife. "<em>Momma, it's so dark! Where are you?"</em></p><p>"Howard!"</p><p>"Maria, go to him!" Howard ordered, pursing his lips as he regarded Pym. "And you! You know damn well that I had absolutely nothing to do with the power plant bombing! We have an alibi! Maria and I were at the hospital with Tony when it happened!"</p><p>"No, Howard, I'm afraid I actually don't know that," Pym said. "So I guess it'll be up to the courts to decide now."</p><p>"But none of this is going to bring Jan back!" cried Howard. "None of it! Pym, you <em>know</em> that!"</p><p>But Pym only stared back, finally giving Maria a cursory nod.</p><p>"I'm sorry it has to be this way, Maria," he said before turning and heading back down the walkway just as Tony let out another bloodcurdling scream.</p><p>"<em>Momma, it's so dark! Too dark! Where are you?"</em></p><p>"Maria, I'll be all right," Howard said quickly. "Go to him!"</p><p>"Let's go, Mr Stark," the officer said, tugging on Howard's arm. Howard stumbled as his foot caught on one of Tony's many contraptions that littered the porch area of their house, wishing for nothing more than to be able to cover his ears against his son's panicked screams.</p><p>And the last thing that Howard heard before he was shoved into the backseat of the Safety Officers' car, was the sound of his wife attempting to comfort his son, trying and failing to hold back her own sobs of despair.</p><p>
  <em>I'm so sorry, my dear.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please, forgive me.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There will be a time jump in the next chapter where we will be introduced to Tony, Peter, and Steve. :)</p><p>I can't wait to see what you think! Please don't forget to hit that kudos button and leave me a comment!  I hope I’ve been able to brighten up your Monday a bit during these scary and uncertain times 💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>Twenty-eight years post-Battle of the Continents</strong> </em>
</p><p>"Here you are, Mr Stark," stated the burly military officer as he pulled to a stop in front of a small three-bedroom house, lit only by the pale light of the moonbeams streaking through the clouds. Tony scowled as he gathered up his pile of books and notes and pulled his handlamp from his jacket pocket, trying not to think about just how many credits the military was wasting by escorting him home when he could've just as easily driven himself.</p><p>"Thanks for the ride," Tony muttered as he slid out of the car. He activated the handlamp, following the bright yellow beam as it led him towards the front door and hoping the noise from the lumbering vehicle wasn't loud enough to wake up his son.</p><p>As much as Tony would enjoy seeing his precious boy's smiling face after working so damn late yet again, it wasn't worth it for Peter to miss out on the rest he so desperately needed. The boy needed all the sleep he could get, and Tony could no longer afford to be selfish about it. Not if he wanted Peter to make it to his twelfth birthday.</p><p>As for making it beyond that, well… Tony preferred to not think about that. Not if he could help it.</p><p>Fumbling for his keys, Tony finally managed to get the door unlocked on the third try, waving off the military goons as he stepped inside the black-as-pitch living room and set his stack of stuff down on the coffee table. Then he slumped down onto the overstuffed couch, tipping his head back as he rubbed at his aching temples. It had been a very long, very exhausting day, but Tony knew that he couldn't rest yet. Not until everything that he'd prepared for the new Air Corps class was completed to his satisfaction.</p><p>If he was ever going to convince the military leaders to give his more outlandish ideas a chance, Tony knew he would have to blow them away with his more conventional ideas first, and that meant being as prepared as humanly possible. Even if it was only something as simple as teaching the next round of cocky flyboys how to navigate the newest line in aircraft finery.</p><p>Six brand-spankin-new X-302 aircrafts, all just waiting in the hangar back at the base for the pilots lucky enough to get to try them out, and costing an upwards of thirty million credits.</p><p>Each.</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Tony loosened the tie from around his neck and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, lolling his head in the direction of the decanter of whisky tucked over in the corner, the amber liquid a dark shadow against the lower third of the fancy container. It was on nights like these when his cravings were the worst, when his fingers practically itched to hold the glass and he could almost taste the whisky on his tongue, burning its way down his throat and sending warmth blooming across his chest. But Tony hadn't had a single hard drink since Peter's emergency trip to the hospital back when he was three years old, and he wasn't about to now, no matter how badly he wanted it. If this cockamamie plan of his was going to have any possible chance of success then he couldn't afford to slip up.</p><p>If he were braver, he would've banned it from the house altogether, especially since Howard's indulgence in the whisky—and his absolute dependence on, for that matter—had been steadily increasing over the years. As it was, Tony tried to justify it by telling himself that very few things brought Howard Stark any true joy, and so if the occasional glass—or three—happened to provide him with just enough to help make Tony and Peter's lives a bit easier, well, then Tony supposed it was worth it for the peace it provided.</p><p>With three Stark men all living under one small roof they definitely needed the peace, and lately Tony had just been too exhausted to put up much of a fight.</p><p>Kicking off his shoes, Tony flung his tie in the general direction of the armchair and pushed himself up to his feet, grabbing his stack of books and following the glaring beam from his handlamp as he headed down the short hallway towards the bedrooms. Peter's door was cracked open, as per usual, so Tony peeked inside, relieved to see that he was sleeping peacefully.</p><p>Or at least, as peacefully as he could with the massive oxygen mask that covered most of his face. Peter wasn't quite to the point where he needed the extra boost during the daytime hours yet, but Tony knew it would only be a matter of time before he got there, and then—</p><p><em>Nope, </em>Tony thought firmly, shaking his head. <em>Not gonna think about it.</em></p><p>As long as he would be able to present his new proposal to the military leaders before Peter's condition worsened any further, everything should be fine. Tony had checked and rechecked his arguments a million times and he knew the proposal was sound, with absolutely zero margin for error, so unless the military had completely lost its collective mind—which wasn't entirely out of the question—they would have no choice but to accept it.</p><p>And then, once they did, Peter could <em>finally </em>have the operation that he so desperately needed, the very operation he should've had way back when the doctors first discovered the problems with his heart. Problems that had grown steadily worse with every single one of his growth spurts.</p><p>Tony leaned his head against the doorframe, carefully shining the handlamp across Peter's skinny chest as he watched it slowly rise and fall with each of his laboured breaths, the slight <em>hiss</em> of his external oxygen sending a shiver racing down Tony's spine. Aside from his irrational fear of the dark, that godawful, evil-sounding noise was the one thing that he hated most in the world.</p><p>Pressing his fingers to his lips, Tony blew Peter a kiss before turning towards his own bedroom, setting his stuff down on the desk and activating the small oil lamp he kept for his nighttime work. The lamp flickered for a few seconds before finally illuminating, and Tony groaned as he noticed the low level of the lamp's oil reserves. He'd have to pick up some more the next time he was at the market.</p><p>Huffing out a sharp breath, Tony opened his notebook and quickly got to work, making a few minor changes to his notes for the upcoming class. The X-302s weren't too much different from the X-301s operations-wise, but Tony wasn't about to tell the pilots that. Better for them to believe that they couldn't fly the things without Tony's guidance than to allow their collective heads grow any bigger than they already were.</p><p>He had just finished marking his final note when an alarm suddenly sounded, blaring across the dark and silent house and causing Tony to startle so violently that the pen in his hand ran across the entire page of his notebook, marking a jagged line right through his notes. In a flash he was on his feet, knocking over his chair in his haste to race towards Peter's bedroom.</p><p>"No, no, no, no, no," he chanted under his breath as he skidded to a stop next to his beloved boy, tapping him on the cheek with his palm as he shined the beam of his handlamp across the generator panel that powered Peter's overnight oxygen, a strangled noise escaping his throat when he saw that the hose connecting the panel to the mask was loose.</p><p>"Pete? Buddy, it's Dad. Wake up for me, okay?" Tony choked out as he pressed the back of his hand to Peter's forehead, which felt as cold as an iceberg.</p><p>"Pete!" he pleaded, his panic spiking when Peter's head suddenly lolled to the side, his chest heaving as he attempted to suck in air. "Oh gods, Pete, don't do this! You gotta wake up, buddy, okay? You just gotta wake up!"</p><p>"Tony? Oh, you're home. What're you doing in here?" Tony suddenly heard from the hallway. He whipped his head back to find his father leaning against the doorframe, tying the belt of his ugly-ass robe around his waist. "I'm trying to sleep, what's with all the racket?"</p><p>"Call the hospital!" Tony shrieked as he fumbled with the fingerprint authentication for the oxygen connection, swearing when his shaking fingers refused to cooperate. "Goddamnit Howard, didn't you fucking hear me? Pete's colder n' hell! He's dying!"</p><p>"No, I'm pretty sure he's just sleeping," Howard said, or rather slurred, nearly tipping over in an attempt to cross his arms. "He seemed fine when he went to bed."</p><p>Tony's jaw dropped open, his angry retort dying on his lips as his panic-laden mind finally realised why Howard wasn't concerned.</p><p>Howard was drunk out of his gourd. Again.</p><p>Burning hot rage welled up inside Tony's gut, and he let out a growl as he was finally able to connect the hose, nearly sobbing when Peter whimpered softly and smacked his lips before sucking in a deep, rattling breath.</p><p>"Pete? It's gonna be okay, buddy, I'll make sure of it," Tony said as he ran his fingers through Peter's downy-soft curls. He quickly pressed his lips to Peter's forehead, his belly swooping at his frigid temperature. "I'll be right back, okay?</p><p>"See, I told you he was just sleeping—" Howard started, his mouth snapping closed when Tony shoved past him and into the living room, grabbing the telephone.</p><p>"I need an emergency medical transport!" Tony barked into the phone before the dispatcher could even finish his greeting. "My son, he's—he's—!"</p><p>"And do you understand the credit requirements for such a transport?" asked the dispatcher.</p><p>"Yes, goddamnit!" Tony shrieked, even as his heart sank down to his knees. Emergency medical transports were expensive, costing more credits than he earned in an entire year, but Tony knew that he didn't have a choice. There was obviously no way that he could trust Howard to keep an eye on Peter while he drove him to the hospital, and since civilians weren't even allowed to be on the streets without a military escort during blackout periods Tony couldn't risk the chance of being pulled over.</p><p>"Yes, I understand," he repeated, as calmly as he was able. "Please, just hurry!"</p><p>"Very well, transport will arrive in approximately eight minutes," said the dispatcher. "Please have the patient ready."</p><p>"Yeah, okay." Tony slammed down the receiver, hurrying back to Peter's room to find Howard sitting next to him on his bed, poking him in the ribs.</p><p>"See, he's not dying," Howard said as he poked Peter again, causing him to grimace beneath his mask. "You can't be dying if you're still ticklish, and he's definitely still ticklish."</p><p>"Oh for fuck's sake, get the hell away from him!" Tony snapped as he shoved Howard aside, nearly sending him to the floor. At the last second Howard grabbed onto the foot of Peter's bed, shock registering on his face as he looked over at Tony, blinking as if he'd just realised he was there.</p><p>"Tony?" he said as his eyes flicked between Peter and Tony. "What's going on? What's wrong with the boy?"</p><p>Tony squeezed his eyes closed, fighting against the tears threatening to fall as he took Peter's freezing hand between his own, cradling it against his cheek.</p><p>"You didn't connect his oxygen properly before he went to sleep," Tony said, low and tight. "The hose—it wasn't fastened the way it was supposed to be, so when Pete moved in his sleep, he—he—" A single tear snaked its way down his cheek. "Oh gods, I can't lose him now. Not after—not after everything—oh gods <em>please, </em>don't take him from me now!"</p><p>"Oh no," Howard said softly. He swallowed hard, tilting his head. "I… um… well, the connection, it looked—it looked right to me when I did it, but—but maybe I didn't get as good a look as I thought, and—"</p><p>"Yeah, and how many goddamn drinks did you have before you hooked it up, huh?" asked Tony. "Well? How many?"</p><p>"I don't know, Tony," Howard said quietly, his shoulders sagging as he suddenly aged twenty years in less than three seconds. "I wasn't exactly keeping track."</p><p>"Holy shit, I can't even believe you," Tony whispered, pressing his lips to Peter's ice-cold palm. Then he looked his father straight in the eye, his jaw so tight he could hear his teeth grinding. "You are never to come near him again, you understand? Not. Ever. Again!"</p><p>Howard gulped, raising his hands. "Tony, look, I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but—"</p><p>"No!" Tony said, cutting him off. "No more second chances, not anymore! Goddamnit, Howard, Pete <em>needed</em> you tonight! He needed you, and you weren't fucking there!"</p><p>
  <em>Just like you were never there for me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why the hell did I think it could be any different?</em>
</p><p>"Daddy?" Peter suddenly croaked through his mask, his huge brown eyes glassy with pain. "I don't—I don't feel so good. My chest, it hurts, and—"</p><p>"Shh, buddy, don't try to talk, okay?" Tony soothed, brushing Peter's hair from his forehead. "We're gonna get you taken care of as soon as we can, don't you worry."</p><p>Peter coughed, a wet, horrible cough that was so slimy it nearly snapped Tony's already fraying nerves.</p><p>"Uh—uh huh."</p><p>A boisterous pounding on the front door followed by a loud, "Oi!" prevented Tony from saying anything else, and he gently set Peter's hand down at his side.</p><p>"The hospital people are here now, buddy, and they're gonna take good care of you," he said. "I'll make sure of it."</p><p>"No, Daddy, please!" Peter cried as Tony hurried towards the door, his pathetic voice squeezing Tony's heart like a vise. "Please don't take me away, I don't wanna go!"</p><p>"Oh gods, it's a kid," one of the medics said as soon as he laid eyes on Peter. "What's his medical history?"</p><p>"He—he's got a heart condition," Tony forced past the knot in his throat. "ASD and partial anomalous PVR."</p><p>The medic's eyebrows shot up as he swabbed Peter's arm with an alcohol pad while the second medic prepped an IV kit. Tony immediately reached for his son's hand; Peter absolutely <em>hated </em>needles.</p><p>"Little stick coming, Pete," Tony warned, his heart lurching when Peter let out a whimper. "It's all right, buddy. I'm here."</p><p>"Hurts, Daddy," Peter whispered.</p><p>Tony dropped his head, stroking his fingers through Peter's hair. "I know, bud, and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could make all of this just go away."</p><p>
  <em>Why can't I make it all go away?</em>
</p><p>"Tony, let me go with him," Howard pleaded as the medics loaded Peter onto their stretcher. "Please, you need to finish your work, you know they won't let you—"</p><p>"No way in hell!" Tony exclaimed, only barely clinging to his temper. "I meant what I said, you're not ever getting near him again, you got that? He might never be able to come home after this!" As soon as the words left his mouth Tony clapped his hand over it, his fear threatening to drown him as he looked down at his beloved boy.</p><p>
  <em>Oh gods, what if he can't ever come home again? What am I gonna do?</em>
</p><p>"Pete," he stammered. "Buddy, I'm so—I'm so sorry, and—"</p><p>"Dad, just stop arguing with Grandpa, okay?" Peter said, his lower lip shaking. "It's not gonna change anything."</p><p>
  <em>It won't change anything. It won't change anything.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why can't it change anything?</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, bud. Okay."</p><p>"We need to get going now, his O2 sats are only eighty-two percent," the second medic said. "I've already informed the hospital."</p><p>Tony held Peter's hand as the medics took hold of the stretcher, guiding it towards the door. At the last second he grabbed the worn notebook from Peter's bedside table, tucking it under his arm as they stepped outside, the red flashing lights of the transport vehicle almost too bright against the somber darkness of the neighbourhood. Climbing into the transport after Peter, Tony glanced back up at the house to see Howard standing in the doorway, his head down and his shoulders curled in.</p><p><em>Good, </em>Tony thought bitterly. <em>I hope he feels guilty for the rest of his miserable life!</em></p><p>Unfortunately that thought didn't help Tony feel any better, especially once they arrived at the hospital and the doctors sprang into action. The next three hours were amongst the longest of Tony's life, pacing back and forth in the hallway as the doctors tried to get Peter's oxygen saturation to climb high enough to support his vital functions without having to resort to using a ventilator, which with Peter's already deteriorated state would've pretty much been a death sentence.</p><p>"I'm afraid he won't be able to leave here again, Mr Stark. Not until he's able to have his operation," the lead doctor somberly told Tony once Peter was finally stabilised.</p><p>Tony nodded, his throat so tight he could barely speak.</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>"It's a wonder that he's lived this long given the heart defects that he has," the doctor continued. "He's a pretty remarkable young man."</p><p>"Yeah, I know it," Tony said. "Can I go see him now?"</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>Peter was sleeping when Tony got to his room, so he slumped into the chair next to his bed and carefully took his hand, his heart lurching painfully at the sight of his beloved boy covered in wires and tubes and surrounded by beeping monitors. The oxygen mask he was wearing covered most of his face, and while his pale cheeks and lips were no longer the horrific shade of blue they had been when they'd arrived, they were still nowhere near what Tony would consider normal.</p><p>
  <em>Please, buddy, hold on just a little bit longer!</em>
</p><p>The sun was just beginning to climb over the horizon when there was a knock on the door.</p><p>"Come in," Tony croaked. He removed his glasses, rubbing at his stinging eyes as a young, blonde-haired nurse entered the room, her pretty face twisted in sympathy.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Mr Stark, but there's two Safety Officers outside waiting to escort you to the Air Corps base."</p><p>Tears stung Tony's eyes, and he quickly swiped them away. Why the hell would he even think that the military would care at all about what he was going through?</p><p>
  <em>They don't give a damn about anyone but themselves. I don't even know why I bother.</em>
</p><p>"All right," Tony said. He carefully brushed the hair from Peter's forehead before pressing a kiss there. "You'll tell him I'll be back as soon as I can, won't you?"</p><p>The nurse gave a nod. "Of course I will."</p><p>"Thanks."</p><p>Stepping into the hallway, Tony didn't even bother to make eye contact with the Safety Officers as he informed them that he needed to stop by the house to pick up his notes before returning to the base. Howard was nowhere to be found, likely either sleeping it off in his room or out wandering the neighbourhood as he'd been known to do during the day, which suited Tony just fine. He was in absolutely no mood to see him again anytime soon.</p><p>In fact, if he never saw him again at all Tony was fairly certain he would be just fine. For almost his entire life Howard had brought Tony nothing but pain and anguish, and Tony could no longer afford the energy it took to try and fix things.</p><p>Not when his son's life was hanging by a thread.</p><hr/><p>Steve sat back as the waitress arrived with their drinks, running his finger along the rim of the glass that she set in front of him and trying to ignore the thundering beat of the music that filled the pub. He'd never been one for such loud music, but the location hadn't been his choice. That had fallen on Sam's shoulders.</p><p>"Will you boys and girls be needing anything else?" the waitress asked as she stepped back, eyeing Sam up and down.</p><p>"No, thanks," Carol said from across the table, her own glass clutched in her hand. "I think we're good."</p><p>As soon as the waitress was gone, Steve clapped Sam on the shoulder, kicking himself that he couldn't seem to come up with anything to say that didn't sound obnoxious or trite. Normally he was quite good with words, so good that many of his teammates had taken to teasing him about it, but apparently this was not one of those days. As a test pilot flying experimental aircraft, the possibility of losing a teammate was something that weighed heavily on Steve's mind every single time the wheels of his aircraft lifted off from the runway. Experimental aircrafts were by their very nature unpredictable, and every pilot who flew them understood the risks—and glory, there was plenty of that as well—that came with it.</p><p>And yet, it still managed to hit Steve like a freight train every single time one of them didn't make it back to the barn.</p><p>Dugan. Morita. Falsworth. All teammates of Steve's that he'd lost in the three years since he had first qualified for the program, and all deemed unavoidable accidents as a result of testing experimental aircraft.</p><p>And now yet another had joined those ranks, the cold, empty chair at their table a sharp reminder at just how fleeting life could be.</p><p>Clearing his throat, Steve squeezed Sam's shoulder as he raised his glass in the air, nodding at Sam, Carol, and Bucky to do the same.</p><p>"To Riley," he said, clear and true.</p><p>"To Riley," the rest said simultaneously before all four of them downed the contents of their glasses. Steve grimaced as the sharp liquor burned its way down his throat, fighting against the urge to cough. He wasn't that much of a drinker, especially of the hard stuff, as Bucky liked to call it, but out of respect for Sam he hadn't protested when Sam had ordered five rounds of what had been Riley's favourite brand of whisky.</p><p>"So, have you been out to see the kid yet?" Carol asked once she set her glass down, waving the waitress over for another. "How old is he now?"</p><p>"Yeah, I just saw him yesterday when I brought Riley's stuff out to Erin. I think he's six months now? Something like that. Looks just like Riley too, poor kid."</p><p>"Mmm. And how's Erin doing?"</p><p>Sam gave a shrug, downing his second glass of whisky so fast the waitress barely had a chance to set it down.</p><p>"Eh, you know how it is. The kid keeps her pretty busy, probably helps keep her mind off of things, ya know? Keeps her from dwelling on it."</p><p>"Yeah, that's what Maria always says too," said Carol. "She calls Monica her anchor all the time, says she would've been lost without her after her husband was killed."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess I can see that." Sam let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "I dunno, it all just kinda sucks though."</p><p>"Yeah, it does," agreed Bucky. "Kinda almost makes me wanna take a shot at those goddamn Meridians every once in a while. Let them see what it's like for a change."</p><p>"Yeah, but that right there's the same kind of thinking that got us into this whole damn mess in the first place," said Sam. "It's not a matter of who shot first anymore, it's all about who keeps shooting."</p><p>"Yeah, well, tell that to Riley's wife and kid," Bucky snapped, slamming his glass down onto the table so hard that Carol jumped. "At some point you just gotta either say stop, or fight back. It's getting to the point where I don't even care how cool the aircrafts are anymore. This whole constant patrolling thing is just a massive waste of resources that could be better used for other things. Like allowing our fucking lights to turn on whenever we want 'em to, for example."</p><p>"Well, isn't that what this newfangled thing we're starting tomorrow is supposed to address?" asked Sam. "The next phase or some shit like that?"</p><p>Carol scowled, shooting Steve a questioning look. "Yeah, I guess so. You okay there, Cap?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah," replied Steve, plastering on a smile he had no doubt that Carol could see right through. "Just a bit tired, you know? I was at Ma's all last weekend trying to help her out. Her arthritis has been flaring up a bit again, so I've been trying to fix up some stuff around her house to help make things easier on her."</p><p>"Yeah, well, tell her I said hi next time you talk to her, okay?" said Carol as she glanced at the timepiece fastened around her wrist. "I'm already late to meet James."</p><p>"Will do."</p><p>"Yeah, I think I'm gonna get going too, Steve," said Sam, nudging him in the arm. "I got some stuff to go over before we start that fancy new class tomorrow."</p><p>"I'll go with you," said Bucky as he rapidly downed his third glass of whisky. "See ya later, Stevie."</p><p>Steve rolled his eyes. "Yep, see ya later."</p><p>As soon as he was alone Steve dropped his chin to his chest, gripping his head between his hands. He had been trying to hide it from his friends, but Riley's sudden death seven days ago had thrown him for a pretty big loop, one that he hadn't yet managed to shake. It had been just another routine mission, scouting the skies above Langara in the new X-301 aircrafts with Sam and Riley, something they had all done too many times to count, when, while testing out the banking arc, Riley had pulled back just a split-second too late, ending up just a hair over the hardline DMZ.</p><p>And the very moment the tip of his wing tripped that invisible barrier, the enemy's automated anti-aircraft defence system kicked in and he was immediately taken out, the resulting fireball so blinding that Steve almost flew head-on into Sam before he was able to recover.</p><p>Steve shuddered as he recalled the searing heat of that fireball, and the shock that he'd felt at seeing someone he'd spent nearly every single day with for the last three years suddenly vanish while being completely and utterly helpless to stop it.</p><p>It was like Sam had said; that they had been up there just to watch.</p><p>And now there was yet another Langaran test-pilot widow, and yet another Langaran child growing up without a father.</p><p>Just like he had.</p><p>It took him a few more seconds to realise that none of the others had bothered to leave any credits behind for their drinks, something that brought a slight smile to Steve's face as he dug into his back pocket, peeling off the required number of bills and laying them on the table. He'd get them all back the next time.</p><p>In fact, if his memory was correct, and it always was, Bucky had managed to skip out on paying the last three times, something Steve would be sure to pass along to Sam once he saw him again.</p><p>Getting to his feet, Steve grabbed his worn brown leather jacket and slung it over his shoulder, checking his timepiece on his way out of the pub. It was only 1600, and since he'd already completed his aircraft double-check and filed his mission report for the day, that meant he had plenty of time to make one of his hospital visits before he returned to the barracks for dinner.</p><p>As if in direct contrast with his stormy emotions, the sun was shining brightly outside, the late spring air crisp and cool as Steve mounted his motorcycle and took off in the direction of the nearby hospital, smiling as he felt the breeze whipping across his face and through his hair. He never bothered with a helmet, something he knew drove his ma mad with worry, but he had always rather enjoyed living a bit dangerously. There was nothing quite like the adrenaline rush that one got pulling out of a 3G dive just in time to avoid pancaking against a mountain, and since Steve had been driving motorcycles even longer than he'd been flying aircraft he figured he didn't need to worry about a helmet.</p><p>Especially since he had driven out to that hospital so many times he likely could've done it in his sleep.</p><p>"Hey, Sharon," Steve said as he arrived on the paediatric floor, smiling fondly at the pretty, blonde-haired nurse sitting at the nurses' station. "How're you doing today?"</p><p>"Hey, Captain!" Sharon replied, shooting Steve a quick smile. "It's always good to see you. How's it going over there on the flight deck?"</p><p>A stab of pain pierced Steve's heart, one that he pointedly ignored.</p><p>"Oh, you know," he said quickly. "Patrols and more patrols. I'm starting a new class tomorrow though, so maybe things'll get switched up a bit."</p><p>"Oh. Well, that sounds like fun," said Sharon. "So, are you here to see someone?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod. "Yeah, thought I'd stop by and see what Tyler's been up to. Is he still here?"</p><p>"Actually, he's not," answered Sharon. "He finally turned a corner about three days ago and was just discharged earlier this morning. The doctors expect him to make a full recovery."</p><p>"Aw, that's wonderful!" Steve exclaimed, even as he felt a pang of regret. He had really enjoyed getting to know Tyler.</p><p>"I'm just sorry that I didn't get to say goodbye to him."</p><p>"Yeah, especially with the nasty type of pneumonia that he had," Sharon said with wide eyes. "Kids really are resilient, you know?"</p><p>"Yeah, they sure seem to be," said Steve. "Is that why you love working with them so much? 'Cause they're resilient?"</p><p>"Oh gods, yes," Sharon said, nodding swiftly. "That, and they don't complain about stuff nearly as much as adults do." She gave her keyboard a tap and grabbed another chart off the counter, one so thick that its binding was starting to fray. "There is another kid who just came in early this morning, though, and I'd wager that he would really appreciate some company. Especially from a hotshot pilot like yourself."</p><p>"Oh? What's his name?"</p><p>"Peter," said Sharon. She tucked the chart to her chest and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "He's got a pretty bad heart, poor little guy. The night nurse said that she'd never seen a kid's face that blue before."</p><p>Steve winced, crossing his arms across his front. "Yikes. Is he gonna make it?"</p><p>"I hope so." Sharon huffed out a sharp breath as she bit her bottom lip, lowering her voice even further. "I'm not really allowed to talk about his family, but… let's just say that he needs a pretty expensive operation, but there's a lot of mitigating circumstances out there that are muddying the waters. It just sucks because he doesn't deserve any of it, you know? And yet he's still the one that's suffering for it."</p><p>Anger welled up inside Steve's gut, so strongly that it almost frightened him. He hadn't even met the child yet and already felt very protective of him. "Okay, but you're not saying that his parents—that they're—?"</p><p>"Oh no, that's not it at all," Sharon assured him. "I don't think I've ever seen a more loving or overprotective father than this kid's dad. I mean, the only reason he's not in there with him right now is because he was afraid that he'd lose his job. It's just… well… you know our government, right? I mean, you're around it every day, so…"</p><p>"Just the Air Corps part," said Steve. "I don't really know much about what goes on anywhere else."</p><p>"Well… like I said. It all just pretty much sucks." Sharon tilted her head, giving Steve a warm smile. "I'm sure he'll perk up once he sees you, though. He's a real sweetie but he's pretty down at the moment. The doctors don't think he'll be going home anytime soon."</p><p>"Well, then it's a good thing I'm here," Steve said. He tapped his palm on the counter, returning Sharon's smile. "Thanks, Sharon."</p><p>"Sure thing."</p><p>Heading down the hallway, Steve paused just outside the door to Peter's room, his mind swirling with what Sharon's cryptic words could possibly mean. What sort of mitigating circumstances could exist that would be murky enough to prevent a child from getting a potentially life-saving surgery, especially if he was as bad off as Sharon made it sound?</p><p>And she had only mentioned the boy's father, so did that mean he didn't have a mom? Or that the mom wasn't involved?</p><p>Ultimately Steve knew it really wasn't any of his business, but yet he couldn't help but wonder.</p><p>Inhaling a deep breath, Steve gently knocked on the door.</p><p>"Come in?" a small voice responded, weak and timid.</p><p>Stepping inside the room, Steve was greeted by a young boy, maybe ten or eleven years old, with probably the biggest and sweetest brown eyes that he had ever seen partially hidden by a mop of brown curls that hung across his forehead. The boy's skin was ghostly pale, nearly as white as the various bandages covering the three separate intravenous tubes attached to his skinny arms and neck, but he smiled politely as Steve approached him, letting out a weak, wet cough as he raised his hand to wave hello.</p><p>"Hi," he said, tilting his head as his eyes narrowed. "I'm Peter."</p><p>"Hello, Peter," said Steve, attempting a smile. This boy was obviously far, far sicker than Tyler had ever been, and Steve wasn't quite sure he was comfortable with that yet. "My name is Steve."</p><p>"Hi, Steve," said Peter. "You don't look like a doctor?"</p><p>"That's because I'm not," answered Steve. "I'm actually a pilot with the Langaran Air Corps."</p><p>Peter's eyes narrowed even further. "Oh," he said warily. "Okay, so then what are you doing here?"</p><p>Steve gulped at the boy's suspicious tone, the way his brown eyes swept across his uniform in only partially-concealed disgust. It was definitely not something that Steve was used to experiencing.</p><p>"Well, you might say I'm a volunteer of sorts," he said. "My friend, Sharon, who's your nurse, invites me to come and visit with the sick kids sometimes. She says it helps them to feel better."</p><p>"Um… why does she think it'll help us feel better to talk to an Air Corps pilot?"</p><p>"Well…" Steve stammered, unsure quite what to say. "Sharon mentioned something about your father having to go to work, so maybe she just thought that you might like some company?"</p><p>Peter's lips pursed at the mention of his father, and he slumped back against his pillows, carefully crossing his arms.</p><p>"My dad did have to go to work," he said, rather petulantly. "He didn't want to, but they didn't give him a choice. They never give him a choice."</p><p>Steve's heart gave a lurch at Peter's tone, resignation laced with a heavy layer of sadness. What job could possibly be so important so as to keep a father from being with his sick child?</p><p>"I'm very sorry about that, Peter," he said softly. "It's really not fair."</p><p>"No, it's not." Peter let out a heavy sigh, punctuated by another wet cough as he glanced up at Steve. "So how come you're not at work?"</p><p>"Well…" Steve said as he grabbed the hard chair shoved into the corner, dragging it next to Peter's bed. "Do you mind if I sit down?"</p><p>Peter shrugged. "No, I guess not."</p><p>"Thanks." Draping his jacket across the back, Steve settled his large frame down onto the uncomfortable chair, crossing his legs. "I fly patrols that monitor along the DMZ border every day. I was up in the air by 0630."</p><p>"Oh," said Peter. "That's pretty early."</p><p>"Yeah. I'm on the A-shift, which briefs at 0600 every morning," Steve said. "B-shift starts at 1200, the C-shift at 1800, and then the D-shift at 2400. We're up there flying patrols around the clock."</p><p>"Mmm," Peter said as he rubbed at his nose, briefly disrupting his oxygen tubes. "And what do you like to do when you're not patrolling?"</p><p>"Well…" Once again Steve was at a loss for words, and it was more than a little unnerving. He'd never visited a kid before who wasn't immediately impressed with the fact that he was a pilot. Most of the time the kids' mouths dropped open as soon as they laid eyes on his uniform, but judging from Peter's attitude he was almost repulsed by it.</p><p>"I like to visit my ma," he continued. "She used to be a nurse, actually, before her arthritis got too bad and she had to retire." He tugged on the tight collar of his shirt, clearing his throat. "I also like to draw, when I have the time."</p><p>"Really? That's so cool!" Peter said, his entire face lighting up so fast that it almost startled Steve. He reached underneath his blankets, pulling out a worn, dog-eared notebook and placing it on his lap. "I like to draw too, but my grandpa always says that it's a waste of time, so I don't get to do it much when he's at home."</p><p>"Oh, that's too bad," said Steve. "Do you and your parents live with your grandpa?"</p><p>"Eh, it's technically his house, but it’s more like he lives with us," Peter said as his huge brown eyes clouded over with sadness. "He and my dad don't really get along all that great, but… he's old, and he doesn't have anywhere else to go, so…" He paused, biting his full bottom lip as he shook his head. "I don't really wanna talk about it anymore."</p><p>"That's okay, we don't have to," Steve said quickly. He jerked his head towards the notebook in Peter's lap. "So, what do you like to draw?"</p><p>Peter shrugged. "Pretty much anything, I guess. I don't get to go outside very often so it's mostly stuff I can see through my bedroom window." He shifted closer, lowering his voice. "I'm also helping my dad a bit with one of his side projects, but I'm not allowed to talk about that. It hasn't been approved yet."</p><p>"Ah, I gotcha. Then I promise I won't tell anyone," said Steve. "And, if you don't mind, maybe I can bring in one of my sketchbooks next time and we can draw together?"</p><p>A wide smile stretched across Peter's pale lips, one that Steve couldn't help but mirror.</p><p>"Sure! That sounds fun!"</p><p>"Great!" He gently clapped his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Would you mind showing me some of your drawings?"</p><p>"Oh, sure." Peter opened his notebook, skipping over several pages until he came across an impressive drawing of a squirrel sitting on a windowsill.</p><p>"This little guy likes to sit outside my window sometimes," Peter said. "I've named him Cashew."</p><p>Steve immediately laughed, an honest-to-goodness, true belly laugh, realising about a split-second later that he could not honestly remember the last time he had done so.</p><p>And for someone with an eidetic memory, that was saying something.</p><p>"That's a perfect name for a squirrel," he said as he scooted closer. "I love it!"</p><p>"Yeah, he's pretty sweet," Peter said as he turned another page, this time showing Cashew nibbling on what looked like a crust of bread. "I like to feed him sometimes too, but don't tell my grandpa, 'kay? He'd think it's a waste of food."</p><p>Steve gave a solemn nod. "I promise."</p><p>"Thanks," said Peter as he turned another page, on which was a beautiful drawing of a polar bear cub frolicking in the snow. "This one I drew from a picture in an old magazine since I've never been able to see one in person. Isn't she cute?"</p><p>"She sure is," agreed Steve, and she truly was. Peter was indeed a very talented artist for such a young child, something that Steve could recognise as an amateur artist himself. But at the same time, Steve could understand why the boy's grandfather wasn't encouraging of his talent. Artists weren't exactly revered in Langara, a society that had become so entrenched in combat and strategy and just war in general, that things like art had long since fallen by the wayside.</p><p>Steve became so engrossed in Peter's artwork and their conversation that it didn't even occur to him to check the time until Sharon knocked on the door with Peter's evening meal.</p><p>"Steve, you're still here?" she said in surprise as she set Peter's food down on the rolling table and reached for her stethoscope, placing the bell against Peter's chest. "I thought I had just missed you leaving."</p><p>"Ah, yeah," Steve said, flustered as he checked his timepiece. It was already nearly 1900 hours, more than an hour after he had planned to be back. "Actually, I was just leaving."</p><p>"Oh, you were?" Peter said, his face falling. "Do you have to?"</p><p>Steve's throat tightened, and he placed his hand gently on Peter's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Peter, but I do need to get going now. Is it all right if I come back tomorrow and see you again?"</p><p>"Yes, please," Peter answered with a rather emphatic nod. "And don't forget your sketchbook, okay?"</p><p>"Sketchbook?" Sharon said, replacing her stethoscope around her neck. She reached for Peter's wrist next, checking his pulse. "I didn't know you knew how to draw, Steve?"</p><p>"Yeah, it's just a hobby," Steve said quickly. He cleared his throat, well aware that his cheeks were about as red as his ma's favourite lipstick. "You know, just something to pass the time in the barracks."</p><p>"Oh, sure," Sharon said, winking. "Guess that means they're not keeping you flyboys busy enough though, hmm?"</p><p>Steve grunted, patting Peter once on the back. "Peter, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Have a good night."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter replied. "Thanks."</p><p>With a quick nod in Sharon's direction, Steve hurried from the room and out of the hospital, barely pausing to take a breath until he was on his motorcycle and racing back towards the barracks. It was so unlike him to lose himself in a conversation like that—and with a kid, no less, one that he'd never even met before—and it was throwing him for a far bigger loop than he cared to let on.</p><p>After dropping off his jacket in his quarters and grabbing a book, Steve was just rounding the corner towards the mess hall when he nearly ran headlong into Colonel Phillips, the Air Corps commander, barely avoiding upsetting the full cup of coffee in his hand.</p><p>"Watch yourself there, Captain Rogers!" Colonel Phillips barked as he took a step back. "It never does a pilot any good to have his eyes on the ground!"</p><p>"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," Steve said automatically as he stood to attention, offering a salute that Colonel Phillips nodded away with a barely-suppressed eyeroll. "It won't happen again."</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Colonel Phillips, tilting his head. "You look distracted, Rogers. Something on your mind?"</p><p>Steve's heart gave a painful lurch. Now was not the time to be thinking about Riley, and his baby son who would be growing up without a father.</p><p>Or the boy Peter, sitting alone in his hospital room.</p><p>"No, sir. Nothing besides dinner, sir."</p><p>Colonel Phillips scowled, narrowing his eyes.</p><p>"Well, I hope that's the case, Rogers, for your sake. 'Cause as much as it irks me to admit, this newfangled class you and all of your hotshot friends are starting tomorrow morning could very well be the most important thing that you ever do in your lives, you got that?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said firmly. After almost ten years in the Air Corps Steve was well-used to Colonel Phillips's warnings. And his tendency towards hyperbole.</p><p>"And, as much as it <em>really </em>irks me to admit," the colonel continued. "The fact that this new class is being taught by a civilian liaison instead of one of our own should have absolutely no bearing on you or any of your squadmates' behaviour during such class, is that understood? I don't wanna hear so much as even a hint of a whisper of insubordination, you got that? You can think what you want about civilians all you want, just don't you dare let any of those thoughts be loud enough to be heard. Is that clear?"</p><p>Steve's lips twitched. He personally hadn't enough encounters with regular civilians to formulate an opinion of them one way or another, but he knew the same couldn't be said for some of his predecessors, or even his teammates. The pilots in the Langaran Air Corps were rather proud, as were pretty much all the members of the Langaran military, and with that pride came the tendency to look down upon some of the non-military members of society.</p><p>"Of course, sir."</p><p>"Good. Dismissed."</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>With wide eyes, Steve hurried over to the food line, barely noticing what he was grabbing as he filled his tray.</p><p>He had just grabbed a bottle of blue superwater when he heard his name.</p><p>"Hey, Stevie!" Bucky called from across the room, sitting across from Sam and waving like a dummy. "'Bout time you showed up!"</p><p>"Do you have to call me Stevie?" Steve grumbled as he slid into the seat next to Bucky. "Makes me sound like some singer in a band or something."</p><p>"Oh, hell yeah. You know I just love when your ears turn that lovely shade of bright pink," Bucky replied through a mouthful of bread. He waggled his eyebrows, chuckling as Steve spread a generous amount of butter across a roll. "Besides, what's the big deal? Not like anyone's gonna look at you and want to mess with you anyway."</p><p>"Mmm…" Steve muttered, tossing Bucky a sharp look. He didn't especially enjoy being reminded of how scrawny he'd been as a kid, or of how many times Bucky had had to come to his aid on the school playground.</p><p>Thank the gods for military scientists and their magic formulas, or Steve might've never had the opportunity to become a Langaran test pilot.</p><p>"So, what was Phillips going on about over there?" asked Sam. "He got his panties in a wad again?"</p><p>"Oh, nah, not too bad," said Steve. "Mainly just going on about how we're all supposed to be on our best behaviour tomorrow. Apparently our new class is being taught by a civilian liaison instead of one of our own."</p><p>Bucky's eyebrows shot up. "Another civilian? Really?"</p><p>"That's what Phillips said," replied Steve. "And I don't think he'd be joking about something like that."</p><p>"No, no way in hell would he joke about something like that," agreed Sam. "Wonder who it is? Gotta be someone pretty damn smart if they've managed to hurdle over all the military scientists this late in the game."</p><p>Steve gave a shrug, shoving a huge bite of pasta into his mouth.</p><p>"Phillips didn't say who it was," he said. "Only that we're supposed to behave."</p><p>"Mmm. Don't know what he's so worried about," said Bucky with a rather sly grin. "I always behave."</p><p>"Oh, sure," said Steve. "And that's why you're always running on fumes when you turn in your aircraft, right? 'Cause you're just having so much fun up there, behavin'?"</p><p>"Oh, shut up, mister goody two-shoes," Bucky said as he tossed a bit of roll at Steve's face. "And hey. Where the hell were you this afternoon, anyway? Sam and I were looking for ya."</p><p>Steve's ears immediately heated up, and he ducked his head, hoping Bucky and Sam wouldn't notice.</p><p>"Oh, I just went for a drive," he said into his tray. "It was pretty nice out."</p><p>"Yeah, which is why we wanted to see if you wanted to toss the ball around a bit," said Sam. "How long's it been since you last hit a baseball, anyway?"</p><p>"Oh, I don't know," Steve said with a shrug. "Can't have been all that long though."</p><p>"Well, we'll be heading out to the field again tomorrow afternoon if you wanna come," said Bucky. "Pretty sure Carol said that she'd be available too. We could have two on two."</p><p>Steve gasped, causing him to choke on a mouthful of his superwater and prompting Bucky to pound on his back.</p><p>"Gods, Steve, it's not that big of a deal," he said once Steve could breathe again. "Don't need to be such a drama queen about it."</p><p>"Haha, very funny," Steve rasped as he wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to clear his throat.</p><p>"I actually already have plans tomorrow afternoon," he finally said. "But I'd be up for it the day after."</p><p>"Well, the weather forecast says it's s'posed to rain that day but who knows, they're only right half the time anyway," said Sam. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "You okay there, Cap?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod, swallowing against the knot in his throat. "Yeah. Just went down the wrong pipe is all. No big deal."</p><p>"Yeah, and you know that's not what I meant," Sam said. "You've been… kinda off lately."</p><p>"Sam's right, Stevie," said Bucky. "What's up?"</p><p>"Nothing!" Steve said, a bit too emphatically when Sam raised an eyebrow. "We've all been a bit off lately. Losing a teammate tends to do that."</p><p>"Mmm, if you say so," Sam said suspiciously. "I still think you're acting weird but hey, what do I know, hmm?"</p><p>"Nothing," Steve said as he attempted a smile. "So don't even pretend that you do."</p><p>"Nope, I guess I don't." Sam downed the last of his superwater, banging the bottle back down onto the table as Bucky got to his feet. "Guess we'll see ya tomorrow then, Cap. Class starts at 0700, so don't be late."</p><p>That at least was enough to make Steve chuckle. He had never, in all of his years with the Air Corps, ever been late to a briefing, and there wasn't a single person on their team who didn't know it.</p><p>"I'll save you guys a seat," he said with a mock-salute.</p><p>"Not too close to the front, though, all right?" said Bucky. "Only nerds sit in the front row."</p><p>Sam rolled his eyes, yanking on Bucky's arm. "Yeah, well, c'mon, <em>nerd</em>. Let's leave Steve with his deep thoughts, all right?"</p><p>"Hopefully not that deep or he'll still be sitting here in the morning," said Bucky. He punched Steve on the arm, playfully, but still hard enough for Steve to grunt. "See ya."</p><p>"'Night."</p><p>As soon as the two men were out of sight Steve opened his book and quickly became engrossed, barely noticing the mess hall emptying around him until one of the members of the cleanup crew tapped him on the shoulder.</p><p>"Pardon me, sir, but we're getting ready to close down," he said. "Blackout starts in forty-five minutes."</p><p>"Oh, sure. Sorry," Steve said as he shoved the rest of his roll into his mouth, washing it down with the last of his superwater. Being caught out of quarters when the blackout hit was not something he needed to experience more than once.</p><p>"No problem, sir."</p><p>Hurrying back to his quarters, Steve readied for bed, setting his alarm for 0520, an entire hour later than usual due to the new class replacing his typical 0600 morning briefing. Ten minutes to wake up and get dressed, forty minutes for his morning run, ten minutes to shower, thirty minutes to eat breakfast, and then on to class.</p><p>He had just slid under his blankets when the announcement came, one he had heard every single night for the last ten years and yet never failed to make his heart jump.</p><p>"Ten minutes to blackout."</p><p>Would there ever come a time when such an announcement would be no longer necessary?</p><p>As optimistic as he liked to pretend he was, Steve highly doubted it. The Langaran government had been searching for a permanent solution to their country's energy problem ever since the Battle of the Continents, and yet here it was twenty-eight years later and they still couldn't seem to come up with something better than turning everyone's lights off every single night.</p><p>A part of him, the tiny part that he only dared to listen to late at night when he was alone, did wonder if maybe, just maybe, the government didn't insist on spending so much of the nation's money on constantly upgrading their military prowess, that they might be able to come up with something that could benefit everyone, not only the military.</p><p>Then again, Steve was a soldier, not a scientist, so what did he know? There were probably very good reasons why the government did what they did, especially since Steve knew without a doubt that not a single Langaran citizen wanted to experience something as horrible as the Battle of the Continents ever again.</p><p>But as the alarm sounded and all of the lights began to vanish across the non-essential sections of the base, Steve's thoughts suddenly shifted to young Peter, sitting alone in his hospital room with nothing but an old notebook for company. He very much hoped that Peter's father had been able to make it in to see him before the lights cut out and all civilians were supposed to be sequestered in their homes, because while he believed that he'd managed to brighten Peter's day a bit, he had a strong feeling that Peter would have far preferred the company of his own father to some random pilot. Especially if the father was as loving and protective as Sharon had indicated.</p><p><em>Maybe the hospital would make an exception for such a sick kid, </em>he thought.</p><p>But then again, knowing the government's inherent bias against civilians, Steve sadly doubted it.</p><hr/><p>"Aw, man! I told you no front row seats!" Bucky groaned as he stepped into the classroom, sliding into the seat next to Steve. "Why'd you gotta pick the front row?"</p><p>"You're always welcome to sit in the back," Steve answered. "But I prefer to not have to lean around people's heads when I'm trying to learn."</p><p>"Oh, 'cause no one's ever gotta lean around your head, right?" Bucky said, smirking as he tapped his datapad to life. "You seen the instructor yet?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"Mmm. Well, I sure hope whoever it is is smarter than the last civvy we had. Remember that guy who they had a couple years ago? The dude who didn't know his own head from his ass?"</p><p>"Which is probably why he only lasted a few days," said Steve. "Hopefully this guy will be better."</p><p>"Yeah, or this is just yet another waste of our time," said Bucky.</p><p>Steve nodded as Carol and Sam stepped into the classroom, followed by a few more pilots that Steve recognised from the other patrol shifts. He made small talk for a few minutes, smiling as one of the pilots showed off pictures of his new baby daughter until Colonel Phillips and another man entered the room and everyone immediately shot to their feet, standing at attention.</p><p>"As you were," Colonel Phillips said, frowning as everyone sat back down. He cleared his throat, gesturing to the dark-haired, bespectacled man who was standing next to him, holding a notebook and shifting on his feet. A man who Steve couldn't help but notice was not only remarkably handsome, he also seemed more than a bit familiar.</p><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, you are right now in this classroom because you are in the top one percent of all Air Corps aviators. You are the elite, the best of the best. But, as I'm certain that you're all aware of by now, our great nation cannot afford to just sit comfortably on the fact that you are the best of the best because we must always be striving to be better." Colonel Phillips grimaced, as though he'd just tasted something unpleasant. "On that note, we do, on occasion, call in certain civilians who we have found to have a particular knack for predicting the trajectory of the enemy, both technology-wise and strategy-wise, and this right here just happens to be one of those civilians." He paused then, clearing his throat as he indicated the man standing next to him. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your instructor, Mr Anthony Stark."</p><p><em>Oh dear gods, </em>Steve thought as his hand instinctively curled into a fist and his blood pressure went into a sudden freefall. He sucked in a deep breath, pointedly ignoring the look of concern Bucky was tossing at him as he stared at Anthony Stark's face, trying with all of his might not to glare so harshly that he drew Colonel Phillips's attention.</p><p>"Is there a problem, Captain Rogers?" asked the colonel, and Steve jumped, internally kicking himself for being so transparent. So much for not drawing his attention.</p><p>"No," Steve said, deliberately relaxing his shoulders and unclenching his fist. "No problem, sir."</p><p>"Good," Colonel Phillips shot back. "Then I highly suggest that you pay attention."</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Now then. Mr Stark's qualifications more than speak for themselves, including not one, but two degrees from Langara's most prestigious university, one of which is in the field of thermodynamic astrophysics and of which he is currently the only expert on the entire planet."</p><p>Colonel Phillips continued on, waxing poetic about Anthony Stark's many achievements in an obvious attempt to impress the assembled group of Air Corps pilots, but Steve could barely listen, his jaw tightly clenched and only a single thought running through his mind.</p><p>
  <em>That man's father is the reason that mine’s dead.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The type of heart defect Peter has is an atrial septal defect (ASD) with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. It is a congenital defect that while not automatically lethal, does require repair for the patient to live beyond their childhood years.</p><p>I can't wait to see what you think! Please don't forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony shifted impatiently as he waited for ole Crotchety Phillips to finish blathering on about his various educational and intellectual achievements, fighting against the strong urge to roll his eyes at the utter lack of interest on the faces of the pilots seated in front of him. Only Carol seemed to be even making an attempt at listening, which Tony found particularly funny since thanks to Rhodey, she probably already knew all the stuff that Phillips was telling them.</p><p>Not that she'd ever say anything, or even acknowledge that she knew Tony while on Air Corps grounds. Carol may have been Tony's best friend's girl but she was also an Air Corps pilot, something that she valued way too much to go babbling about Tony's personal life to her teammates, especially since she was technically forbidden to do so. The Air Corps code of conduct even stated as such.</p><p>"<em>No Air Corps officer shall engage in gossip regarding any of his or her personal affairs, or regarding any of his or her fellow officers or civilians," </em>the code said, and Tony barely suppressed another eyeroll at the thought. He'd heard enough whispered gossip just walking from his office to the classroom a few moments ago to fill an entire marketplace for the next week.</p><p>Still, Tony did appreciate Carol's attempt at following the rules, especially since he had a strong feeling that his bone-deep exhaustion was starting to become more and more physically evident. The last thing he needed now was to come off as anything besides knowing exactly what he was doing.</p><p>"All right," Phillips said, finally concluding his soliloquy. "Mr Stark, if you will."</p><p>Tony cleared his throat, giving Phillips what he hoped was an appreciative nod as he set the first of his slides into the overhead projector and switched it on.</p><p>"Thank you, Colonel Phillips," he said as he glanced around the room, pausing just long enough to make a quick eye contact with Carol before turning his attention to his slide.</p><p>"Now then," he began. "You're all here because you've demonstrated exceptional proficiency in the X-301 aircrafts." He pointed to the diagram of the X-301 with the tip of his pen. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the X-301 was built as an experimental aircraft designed to test a brand-new rounded hull, replacing the more conventional bi-wing design with something that's more aerodynamically sound. Well, based on all the reports that you've all filed following your routine patrols, it seems as though that design has performed even better than we could've hoped."</p><p>Tony paused to switch out his slide, his eyes dragging along the pilots sitting in the front row until they came upon the blond-haired, blue-eyed man sitting directly left of centre. With his broad shoulders, strong, muscular arms, and expertly sculpted cheekbones, the guy was the perfect poster-boy for Langaran Air Corps recruitment.</p><p>Or at least he was until he suddenly locked eyes with Tony, and proceeded to shoot him a glare that would've proverbially splattered him across the entire front of the classroom.</p><p><em>What the hell is wrong with him? </em>Tony thought, confused. The pilot wasn't familiar, as Tony was certain that he would've remembered someone that unbelievably hot, but by the way he was glaring at Tony it almost seemed like he knew him, and for some reason had already decided that he hated him.</p><p>Which Tony knew was just ridiculous. Usually someone had to at least talk to him first before they realised they hated him.</p><p>Regardless, Tony was too damn tired to want to think about it at the moment. All he wanted was to get through his work for the day as quickly as possible so he could get to the hospital in time to see Peter before curfew began.</p><p>"So, based on the feedback that we've received from the flight reports and after a detailed analysis of the data, the Air Corps decided to go ahead with the next phase in aircraft design." Tony paused for dramatic effect as he placed the next slide on the projector, his lips quirking into a slight grin in anticipation.</p><p>"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the X-302." An excited murmur rose up from the assembled pilots, and Tony's grin widened as Mr Muscles in the front row actually licked his lips.</p><p>
  <em>Mmm. I guess the pretty boy likes his new toys.</em>
</p><p>"As you can see, the overall hull design of the X-302 is quite similar to the X-301 and the cockpit is essentially the same, so you won't have to learn an entirely new set of controls. The main difference is in the layout of the engines, which exchanges one large central engine for two smaller twin engines. This will allow for the aircraft to still function in the event of a single engine failure and hopefully prevent possible aircraft destruction, as well as pilot injuries. There is also—"</p><p>"Pardon me, Mr Stark," interrupted Mr Muscles, his razor-sharp jaw twitching slightly. "You mentioned the X-302 having a dual engine system, but I couldn't help but notice that there's still a central engine bell on that diagram."</p><p>Tony smirked as he pointed to the smaller central engine bell tucked down underneath the larger dual bells of the regular engines, noticing that Mr Muscles's fierce glare had been almost entirely replaced with an aura of boyish excitement.</p><p>
  <em>Well, well, well. So the pretty boy actually knows his stuff too. Not bad.</em>
</p><p>"Well, that's correct, corpsman…"</p><p>"Rogers," answered Mr Muscles, proudly squaring his shoulders. "Captain Steve Rogers."</p><p>"Well, Captain Rogers, you are absolutely correct." Tony shuffled through his slides, locating the diagram that gave the details of the central engine. "The two twin engines are regular jet engines designed to be used under normal aviation conditions beneath the planet's atmosphere, each containing enough power to safely land the aircraft in the event of a single-engine failure, and—"</p><p>"And the third?" cut in Captain Rogers.</p><p>Tony frowned, pursing his lips. "If you'll allow me to finish, <em>Captain</em>," he said slowly. "The third engine is a reserve engine that would only be used in the event that the aircraft were to exit the planet's atmosphere."</p><p>"What?" exclaimed the brooding, dark-haired pilot sitting next to Rogers in the front row. "What do you mean, 'exit the planet's atmosphere'?"</p><p>"I mean exactly what you think I mean, corpsman—"</p><p>"Captain Barnes," the pilot said with a rather impatient hand wave. "So you're telling us that this aircraft—"</p><p>"Has the potential for extra-atmospheric flight," Tony finished. "Yes. That is exactly what I'm telling you."</p><p>"Whoa, so you mean actual space travel!" exclaimed Barnes. "Really? That's really cool!"</p><p>"Okay, but I fail to see why we would need such a feature," said Rogers, a deep frown forming between his perfectly-shaped eyebrows. "Unless—"</p><p>"Why don't we just let Mr Stark finish his presentation, hmm?" Phillips cut in from his perch in the corner. "I know you're all chomping at the bit to get up in one of these things, but dare I say that you might wanna learn a bit more about 'em first? Because these cost way too damn much for any of you to assume that you know what you're doing, which you sure as hell <em>won't</em> unless you listen."</p><p>"Of course, sir," Rogers said quickly. "Sorry, sir."</p><p>Rogers' gaze flicked to Tony then, and as the two brilliant pools of perfect azure blue met his own, a flash of something that Tony hadn't felt in a very long time lit up deep inside his gut, so strongly that it almost frightened him. Tony gulped as he instinctively tried to stamp down the unfamiliar sensation, locking it back away where it belonged. Now was <em>not</em> the time to become distracted.</p><p>He still couldn't help but notice, though, that while Rogers' expression still contained a measure of poorly-concealed suspicion, he at least wasn't shooting rockets out of his eyes anymore.</p><p>There was even a tiny flicker of something else in there. Something that, if Tony hadn't known any better, could've almost bordered on admiration.</p><p>And coming from a member of the Langaran military, and from a <em>pilot</em>, no less, that truly was saying something.</p><p>"Mr Stark, if you would please continue," said Phillips.</p><p>"Ah, sure." Replacing the slide with the one containing the incredibly detailed diagram of the X-302's rocket booster, the diagram that Peter had drawn for him, Tony sucked in a deep breath. He was now getting to the most important part of the presentation.</p><p>"As Captain Rogers so studiously noticed, this engine bell here is in fact a rocket booster that's designed for extra-atmospheric flight, otherwise known as space travel. As such, the aircraft itself has also been equipped with brand-new inertial dampening technology that will allow the pilot to manoeuvre easily through the vacuum of space without experiencing the massive G-forces that would otherwise cause him or her to black out. Now, I'm sure all you guys are pretty antsy to test this stuff out, so Colonel Phillips has asked me to let you know that while the Air Corps currently has no concrete plans to utilise these new features for actual space travel, I have been charged with developing simulations in which each pilot will be able to participate once they have been able to demonstrate superior proficiency with the normal operations of the aircraft."</p><p>Tony paused to allow his words to sink in, his heart fluttering at the awe breaking out across the faces of each of the pilots. Peter had told him there'd be no way that any pilot worth his uniform would be able to resist the possibility of being the first Langaran to fly into space, and as usual, he had been absolutely right.</p><p>"And by normal operations we mean no dings, dents, or scratches on any of these aircraft, is that understood?" Phillips piped up. "In fact, I have half a mind to put together a goddamn wash and wax rotation if it would help hammer home just how privileged you people are to even get to touch these babies, much less think about flying 'em."</p><p>A murmured chorus of, "Yes, sir" arose from the seated pilots as Captain Rogers raised his hand, the wrinkle of concern still evident between his blond eyebrows.</p><p>"Yeah, Captain?" asked Tony.</p><p>"Pardon me if this isn't part of your presentation, Mr Stark, but I can't help but wonder. The fuel that we currently use in the X-301s isn't designed for space flight, and as far as I know the Air Corps hasn't yet developed any kind of specialised rocket fuel, so how would we even be able to ignite that engine in order to make it out of the planet's atmosphere?"</p><p>Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he even realised what he was doing, and he let out a small cough, gritting his teeth when he felt a hot flush creeping up his neck. While he knew that the Air Corps pilots had to have some minimal level of intelligence in order to get to fly all the fancy fighters in the first place, in all of his years working as a civilian liaison Tony hadn't had a single one ask such a question.</p><p>And especially a question that he wasn't even sure if he were allowed to answer.</p><p>"Well, Captain, that's actually a very good question," Tony stammered, scratching at the back of his neck as he glanced back at Phillips, who gave him an almost imperceptible shake of his head.</p><p>"And you are correct, the Air Corps hasn't yet developed any sort of rocket fuel. The propulsion system for the space flight engine is of a completely new design, and one that I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to divulge at the moment."</p><p>"That information is currently on a need-to-know basis, Captain," added Phillips. "And I can assure you that as soon as it's necessary for you to know, you will know."</p><p>Rogers immediately nodded, his frown deepening as he sat back on his chair.</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>The remainder of the presentation passed rather quickly, the pilots maintaining their rapturous attention as Tony ran through the rest of the X-302's systems, the anticipation inside the classroom so ripe that Tony could practically smell it.</p><p>"Tours of the new X-302s will begin in the northeast hangar tomorrow during your normal briefing hours, which your current patrol schedules have been altered to reflect," Phillips said once Tony was finished. "Unless there are any further questions, you are all dismissed."</p><p>Tony stood back as the pilots filtered out of the room, collecting his notes and trying very hard to not notice that Captain Rogers' standard-issue Air Corps plain white t-shirt did absolutely nothing to hide the rippling muscles across his back and shoulders.</p><p>And failing so completely that he then almost laughed.</p><p>"Something amusing, Mr Stark?" Phillips asked once everyone had left the room.</p><p>"No," said Tony, probably a bit more harshly than was necessary when Phillips scowled. "No, Colonel, nothing at all."</p><p>"Mmm." Tony watched as Phillips shot a furtive glance at the door before stepping closer. "Look, I know what happened, and I just wanna say that—"</p><p>"It's not necessary, thank you," Tony barked, no longer caring if he was harsh or not. "I don't need or want anyone's pity." He stole a glance at the prickly Air Corps colonel, wondering how in the hell he had even heard about what happened.</p><p>"Colonel Rhodes might've mentioned something to me about your boy this morning," he said, as if he'd read Tony's mind. "And it's not pity, Tony. Dare I say that it's actual, genuine concern."</p><p>Tears stung Tony's scratchy eyes, and he turned away, pressing his fist to his chest. "Yeah, well, unfortunately concern's not gonna fix my son's heart now, is it. Not unless something miraculous happens."</p><p>"Which isn't out of the realm of possibility, especially with these newfangled machines that you've designed," said Phillips. "And if everything continues to go as planned, then I don't see why—"</p><p>"Don't, Colonel," Tony warned. "Just… don't. Don't try and give me any unwarranted hope right now, all right? The only thing that matters is getting this new program through all of the thousands of miles of military red tape."</p><p>'<em>Cause hope is just not something that I can afford right now.</em></p><p>"Well, all right then," said Phillips. "Just be aware that not all of us are as bad as you think."</p><p>Tony immediately scoffed, disguising it as a weird sort of cough as he tucked his notes under his arm. Out of all of the thousands of members of the Langaran military there was not a single one of them that Tony felt he could trust farther than he could throw, except for Rhodey.</p><p>And ever since the accident that had permanently grounded Rhodey from flying, his influence within the Air Corps higher-ups had significantly dropped.</p><p>Not that Tony blamed him, of course. It was just yet another in the long, unrelenting line of hits that couldn't seem to stop coming no matter how hard Tony tried to dodge them.</p><p>"Sure," he said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of work to do."</p><p>Hurrying to his office, Tony barely managed to get the door closed before the tears he'd been holding back finally escaped, burning their way down his cheeks. His stack of papers and notes scattered as he slumped down into his chair and laid his head down on the desk, cursing everything that he could possibly think of for being so goddamn unfair.</p><p>Including, and probably most of all, himself.</p><hr/><p>Tony wasn't sure how long he had laid there—his forehead pressed into the desk and his glasses splattered with drying teardrops—when he was startled upright by a loud knock on the door. He snapped his head up, wincing at the pain in his wrenched neck as he hurriedly scrubbed the tear tracks from his cheeks.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell does Phillips want now?</em>
</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>To Tony's relief it wasn't Phillips who stepped inside the cramped, overstuffed office, it was Rhodey, his face falling as he took in Tony's disheveled appearance.</p><p>"Hey, Tones," he said softly. "I guess I don't have to ask how you're holding up, huh?"</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes, yanking his glasses from his face and tossing them onto the desk.</p><p>"Oh? And what gives you that idea?" he asked as he picked up a pencil, twirling it between his fingers.</p><p>"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you look like you haven't slept in about a year?" Rhodey said with a frown. "I'm sure it doesn't do Peter any good to see you like this—"</p><p>"Yeah, well, it's not like he's seeing me at all at the moment, is he?" Tony snapped. "I can't even manage to get out of here before the damn lights get cut off, and all the government cares about is whether or not I've completed the simulations for the next phase or not. They don't give a <em>damn</em> about the fact that my son is sitting in a hospital room dying a slow death while they sit around on their collective asses and debate about whether or not I'm right about this stuff! Which I am, just in case you were wondering!"</p><p>Rhodey nodded, crossing his arms in front of him and raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"Are ya done?" he asked.</p><p>Tony flinched as the pencil in his hands snapped right in half, fighting against the tears threatening to reemerge.</p><p>"Yeah," he muttered. "Sorry."</p><p>"Nah, you know you don't have to apologise to me," Rhodey said as he hobbled over to sit down on a corner of the desk. He clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Just remember that you're not in this alone, okay? There's a lot of people out there who care about both you and Peter."</p><p>"Bullshit," grumbled Tony. "If that was the case, then why would the leadership insist on just sitting around on their above-mentioned collective asses when all it would take to fix Pete's heart is one simple goddamn phone call!"</p><p>"Because they have protocols that they need to follow, Tony, you know that," Rhodey said, with the air of barely-tempered impatience that Tony had long become accustomed to. Tony knew Rhodey was in a very difficult position, his own standing in the Langaran Air Corps precarious ever since the accident that had left him unable to continue flying.</p><p>And the fact that he was Tony's friend didn't really help Rhodey's cause either. While not entirely unheard of, it was rare indeed for members of the military to fraternise with civilians, especially those in the higher ranks like Rhodey and Colonel Phillips. And while Tony didn't consider Crotchety Phillips a friend—more like a barely-tolerated colleague—he knew without a doubt that he'd be completely lost without what little support Rhodey could give him.</p><p>Tony dropped his head, pressing his palm to his chest.</p><p>"Yeah, I know all about their goddamn protocols," he said. "I also know that if you or Phillips were in charge of everything instead of that asshole General O'Brien, things would be a lot different."</p><p>"And you had better be careful about how loud you say things like that, ya hear?" Rhodey warned him. "Especially now."</p><p>Something in Rhodey's tone prompted Tony to look up at him, quirking an eyebrow.</p><p>"Why? Did you hear something?"</p><p>"Why do you think I'm here?" Rhodey asked with a slight grin. "O'Brien's probably gonna call you tomorrow with the news, so you gotta promise me that you'll act surprised—"</p><p>"I promise, damnit! What'd he say?"</p><p>Rhodey leaned closer, lowering his voice. "O'Brien said that as long as you can come up with all of the simulations that they've asked for, then he'll go ahead and authorise the conversion of three of the X-302 aircraft."</p><p>"Only three?" Tony said, his left hand clenching into a fist. He had asked for all six of them to be converted knowing that the leadership would then insist on only four, which was all that he really needed anyway. But with only three of the aircraft available it would be a lot more difficult, requiring more alterations to each one of the components than he had initially anticipated, which would then take even more time that Peter didn't have, and—</p><p>"At this point three's better than nothing," Rhodey said. "I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but it's at least a start. And once you can get those simulations up and running and the pilots get a couple of test flights under their belts, then I'm sure they'll agree to add the fourth once you present your final request to the committee."</p><p>"Yeah, but the aircraft are only a small part of what I need," muttered Tony. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push back the fatigue headache he'd been nursing for the last three days.</p><p>"I know that, Tones," Rhodey said softly. "One step at a time, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, I guess." Tony fumbled around on his desk for his glasses, finally locating them under a bunch of tipped-over papers right next to the picture of a three-year-old Peter that he kept on his desk. The number of available aircraft wasn't the main problem, not as long as the pilots flying them were capable.</p><p>The main problem would be getting his hands on the rest of the materials that he needed. Materials that the government leaders were guarding so closely and so possessively that only a handful of people even knew of their existence.</p><p>Materials that Tony would only be able to obtain if his proposal was absolutely foolproof, and then only if General O'Brien happened to be in a good enough mood once he presented it.</p><p>Rhodey let out a sigh as he checked his timepiece. "Look, I gotta get going. Do you need anything before I go?"</p><p>"A cup of coffee wouldn't hurt," Tony said, attempting a smile when Rhodey rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Probably be easier for me to find you a beer," he grumbled. "Let me go see if there's any left in the Officer's conference room, yeah?"</p><p>"Thanks."</p><p>As soon as the office door clicked shut Tony reached for his phone, dialling the hospital.</p><p>"Peter Stark, please," he said to the operator, drumming his fingertips on the desk while he waited.</p><p>"Dad?" Peter finally said, his voice so small and weak that Tony had to squeeze his eyes closed.</p><p>"Hey buddy," he croaked. "How're you feeling, any better?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Loads," answered Peter, which Tony knew was not only a flat-out lie, but one meant to attempt to draw attention away from himself, as Peter often did.</p><p><em>That's my boy, </em>Tony thought, proudly despite himself. <em>Always thinking of others first.</em></p><p>"How'd the presentation go?"</p><p>"It went well, bud. The pilots were all very excited about their shiny new toys."</p><p>"That's good." Peter paused for a moment, and Tony could just picture his adorable pursed lips and scrunched-up nose as he debated on whether or not to tell him something.</p><p>"Pete? Something on your mind?"</p><p>Peter huffed out a sharp breath, followed by a wet, junky cough that made Tony shiver, like someone had just dropped ice down his back.</p><p>"Grandpa was here," he said softly. "He came by early this morning and I wasn't gonna—he asked me not to tell you, but—"</p><p>"No, no, you did the right thing," Tony said as his left hand curled into a fist. He should've known that Howard wouldn't take him seriously about staying away from Peter. Howard Stark never listened to anyone if he didn't feel like it, and that usually went double for Tony.</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn you, Howard.</em>
</p><p>"He was afraid that you'd bar him from seeing me again if I told you," said Peter. "But Dad, please don't do that. He doesn't really have anything else to do, and—"</p><p>"And none of that's my fault, Pete," Tony stated. "And it's not yours either, so don't you even let him tell you that—"</p><p>"He knows that, and he said he's really sorry about what happened," Peter cut in. "He told me he's even quit drinking because of it. Said he dumped all the whisky down the drain after we left the house."</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes, a sharp stab of pain piercing his heart. <em>After we left the house. Like we were just going out for a walk or something.</em></p><p>"Yeah, well, I'll believe that when I see it."</p><p>"I knew you'd say that," Peter muttered. "But I really think he's trying this time."</p><p>"And again, I'll believe it when I see it." Tony looked up as his office door swung open to reveal Rhodey, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand that Tony immediately lunged for. "Hey, you wanna say hi to Uncle James real quick?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed as much as his waterlogged lungs would allow. "I haven't talked to him in ages!"</p><p>"You are an absolute saviour," Tony whispered to Rhodey as he handed him the phone, cradling the precious coffee cup in both of his hands as he practically stuck his nose down inside it, inhaling the delectable scent. It had been far too long—weeks, in fact—since he'd been able to find any of his favourite beverage, and after the horrible couple of days he'd just had it couldn't have come at a better time.</p><p>"Hey, kiddo, how're you doing," Rhodey said into the phone, a wide smile stretching across his face as Tony heard Peter launch into some explanation of something or other that he was excited about. Tony watched Rhodey wistfully as he took a tentative sip of the hot coffee, a plethora of emotions fighting for control inside his mind. Before he'd handed him the phone Rhodey had been stressed, likely neck deep in paperwork for the Air Corps cadet squadrons that he oversaw and no doubt in pain from the back and leg braces that he'd depended on to help him walk ever since his accident.</p><p>But not even three seconds after hearing Peter's voice, sick and weak as it was, Rhodey was practically a new person. His shoulders were more relaxed, the lines around his eyes and across his forehead were fainter, and then, only another second later, Tony even heard him laugh for the first time in weeks.</p><p><em>That </em>was the effect that Peter had on people. He was like a bright ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, spreading happiness and joy to anyone who was lucky enough to encounter him.</p><p>And yet, simply because their last name happened to be Stark instead of O'Brien, Phillips, or just about any other goddamn name on the planet, Peter was automatically vilified by the government without even a backward glance while Tony was relegated to playing puppet to their ever-changing whims, despite the fact that Tony's intelligence quotient was the highest ever recorded in Langaran history.</p><p>Begrudgingly, of course. Shoving him into an office the size of a broom closet and forcing him to work such long hours that he'd barely been able to see his son while he'd been home, much less now that Peter was stuck in the hospital, waiting on a surgery that might never happen and costing so many credits per day that Tony would already have to work until he was about a hundred and ten to pay it all off.</p><p><em>No, </em>Tony thought, grabbing hold of it before it had a chance to escape and multiply. <em>I can't afford to think like that.</em></p><p>"I'm gonna give you back to your dad now, kiddo, okay?" Rhodey said. "Promise me that you'll take it easy?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Tony heard Peter say. "Talk to you soon."</p><p>"I gotta go, Tones," Rhodey said as he handed Tony the receiver. "Gotta finish my paperwork."</p><p>Tony gave a nod. "Thanks for the coffee."</p><p>"Sure thing."</p><p>"So, you take it easy now, bud, you hear me?" Tony said to Peter. "Don't be worrying about anything besides getting stronger."</p><p>"Dad, you don't have to pretend with me anymore," Peter said, so matter-of-factly that it sent Tony's heart plummeting to his knees. "I know what's going on, I'm not a little kid anymore."</p><p>"Oh gods, Pete, don't say stuff like that," Tony rasped. "Now's not the time to be giving up."</p><p>"I didn't say that I was giving up, just that I understand," said Peter. "More than you think I do."</p><p>Tony shook his head, wishing with all his might that Peter was wrong.</p><p>But he never was. Not about anything.</p><p>"No, I doubt that, buddy. You're the smartest person I've ever seen so I know you can understand just about anything, but—"</p><p>"I'm gonna keep working on it, Dad," Peter said firmly. "I've already written a whole bunch of new code today, so—"</p><p>"Pete—"</p><p>"—that by the time you get approval from the government it should all be ready," Peter finished. "I mean it, Dad. This has to happen, and not just for me. If this works every single living thing on the planet will benefit, and that's worth a lot more than just one person."</p><p>"But it's not worth more than <em>you,</em> Pete," Tony insisted. "And that's all we're gonna say about that."</p><p>"Dad—"</p><p>"No, buddy, <em>please, </em>just stop, okay? For me?"</p><p>Peter let out a heavy sigh. "All right."</p><p>"That's my boy." Tony glanced up at the clock on the wall, grimacing when he saw that it was already almost 1400. "I'm gonna try and get out of here in time to come by and see you, okay? But if I can't tonight then I'll for sure come tomorrow."</p><p>"Uh huh. Don't work too hard though. I know you haven't gotten any sleep for awhile."</p><p>"And you don't need to be worrying about me, all right?" Tony said firmly. "You just get as much rest as you can."</p><p>"Well, there's not really much else to do here," Peter said, barely stifling another cough. "But I promise I'll try."</p><p>"All right. I love you, buddy."</p><p>"Love you too, Dad. Bye."</p><p>As soon as he hung up the phone Tony shoved his fist into his mouth, biting down hard on his knuckles as he tried to keep his tears contained. No amount of tears would help Peter now.</p><p>"<em>If this works then everyone on the planet will benefit, not just me," </em>Peter had said, which was absolutely correct.</p><p>And that was just yet another thing that scared the shit out of Tony.</p><p>Because the war between Langara and Meridia had been waging for decades, longer than he'd even been alive, and for Tony to propose a program that would not only force the military to give up its super-secret potential weapon of mass destruction, but then take that weapon and offer it to the citizens of Meridia as well, Langara's sworn enemy…</p><p>It might've been easier for Tony to ask for the moon. Or for the military leaders to overlook their massive prejudice against his family and allow Peter to have his surgery.</p><p>Either way, the clock was ticking, and Tony hated the sound of ticking clocks. They always reminded him way too much of a countdown.</p><hr/><p>"Man, who would've thought that these would be getting replaced so fast!" Bucky said as he jumped down from his X-301, running his hand lovingly along the wing. "We were just starting to get to know each other!"</p><p>"Well, I guess they've gotta keep staying ahead of the curve," Steve replied as he sealed his canopy closed, patting it for good measure. "Besides, it's not like they're getting retired or anything. They'll still be in use."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," said Bucky. "Just not by us."</p><p>"Nope. They'll go to the poor losers who couldn't cut it for the test-flight program," Steve said with a grin. "Which, by the way, wasn't us."</p><p>"Well, that's for damn sure," Bucky said, knocking Steve with his shoulder as they made their way across the vast hangar towards the locker room. All around him hung the pungent smells of aviation fuel mixed with sweat as the grounds crew guided in the rest of the aircraft from their patrol shift. It was still odd to Steve how quiet the new aircraft were compared to others that he had test-flown. In the past he and his teammates would've had to practically scream at each other to be heard over the roar of the aircraft engines, but not with the X-301s. And based on what Anthony Stark had said during their class earlier, aside from the rocket booster that would only be used if they went into space, the X-302s were even quieter.</p><p>All the better to sneak up on a possible enemy, he supposed.</p><p>"So, you still gonna bail on Sam and me this afternoon?" Bucky asked as they stepped into the showers. Steve closed his eyes, moaning softly as the hot water pelted down onto his tight neck and shoulders. It had been a long, hard patrol shift that day for some reason, with lots of enemy sightings just across the DMZ line as if they knew that Steve's mind was being pulled in a hundred different directions and were hoping to exploit it.</p><p>And that just wouldn't do. Becoming distracted was practically a death sentence for a fighter pilot, especially one flying an experimental aircraft, and Steve had worked way too hard to get where he was to just throw it all away.</p><p>Unfortunately, the more Steve had attempted to slot each of his unpleasant thoughts into their individually labelled compartments in his mind the more jumbled they seemed to become, and coming face-to-face with none other than Anthony Stark that morning hadn't helped in the slightest.</p><p>Instead, he'd felt as though he'd been broadsided. Shot with a missile from his left flank at point-blank range with absolutely no warning.</p><p>Intellectually Steve knew that Anthony Stark wasn't personally responsible for the death of his father since Anthony had only been a small child at the time of the Battle of the Continents. But Steve had heard enough stories from his ma about Howard Stark's infamous trial for treason following the battle—and about how he'd pretty much pissed his life away afterwards—to believe that he would be perfectly fine with never associating with either of them.</p><p>In fact, Steve had done such a good job of compartmentalising it that while he was certain that he'd known that Anthony worked as a consultant for the Air Corps, Steve had just assumed that since he wasn't a pilot, he'd never have to run into him. He'd been with the Air Corps for almost ten years, ever since he was eighteen years old, and could likely count on one hand the number of civilians he'd interacted with at the base during that time.</p><p>No wonder Colonel Phillips had been so sure to inform Steve that his new class was being taught by a civilian. Phillips had flown with Steve's papa, had been one of his wingmen during the very battle that had taken Joseph Rogers' life, and had also been given the unenviable task of breaking the news of his death to Steve's ma.</p><p>And ever since then, in his own grumpy, sometimes rather off-putting way, Phillips had always looked out for Steve.</p><p>"Stevie? You okay over there?" Bucky said as he knocked on the metal wall separating their shower stalls, pulling Steve from his thoughts. "You haven't drowned, have you?"</p><p>"Nope," Steve answered. He reached for his shampoo, hoping that his voice hadn't betrayed him. "Just enjoying the hot water is all."</p><p>"O-kay," Bucky said slowly. "But you still haven't answered me."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Bucky rolled his eyes. "Are you still planning on ditching Sam and me this afternoon?" he asked, each word enunciated like he was speaking to a very small child.</p><p>"Oh, yeah. I told you, I already have plans."</p><p>"I see," said Bucky. "And those plans wouldn't happen to be with anyone specific, would they?"</p><p>Steve glared in Bucky's direction as he grabbed his bar of soap, running it across his chest. "What's that's supposed to mean?"</p><p>"Exactly what it sounds like," replied Bucky. He poked his head over the metal divider, resting his chin on it. "When was the last time you went on a date, anyway?"</p><p>"I'm not going on a date, Buck," Steve snapped. "And even if I was, it'd still be none of your business."</p><p>Bucky's eyes went wide and he raised his hands, slowly backing away. "Okay, okay, Stevie, no need to be so touchy about it."</p><p>Steve let out a sigh, dropping his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Buck, I didn't mean—"</p><p>"No, no, I know you didn't," Bucky cut in. "It was that Stark guy this morning, right? You weren't expecting to see him?"</p><p>Steve gasped, inhaling a floating bubble of soap or shampoo that immediately caused him to choke.</p><p>"I guess I'll take that as a 'no'," Bucky said once Steve had finally finished coughing and rinsed out his mouth, his throat still stinging from the soap. "Look, it's not like we're gonna have to work all that closely with him or anything."</p><p>"I know," Steve rasped, the hot stream of water only exacerbating the burn in his cheeks that he very much hoped Bucky couldn't see.</p><p>Because as much as Steve hated to admit it, Anthony Stark was quite possibly the most beautiful man that he had ever seen in his life, and as much as he had tried to convince himself that he needed to hate him because of what happened to his father, from the moment he laid eyes on him in that classroom, Steve had realised that that was going to be impossible.</p><p>Steve was <em>captivated.</em> And for someone who had long-ago sworn off ever falling in love or having a family, it was very, very unnerving.</p><p>"So, you're not gonna tell me where you're going?" asked Bucky as Steve sat down on the bench to tie his shoes.</p><p>"Just out for a drive. It helps clear my head," Steve replied. "Maybe you should try it sometime."</p><p>Bucky shot him a downright wicked grin. "What do you think Sam is for, hmm?"</p><p>"Okay, okay, I don't need to know anymore about that," Steve said quickly. He grabbed his leather jacket from his locker and slipped it on, sliding his small sketchbook and a pencil into the inside pocket and hoping against hope to make his escape before Bucky decided to share any further details about he and Sam's sex life.</p><p>"Well, we'll be out on the baseball field if you change your mind," Bucky said. "Enjoy your drive."</p><p>"Yep," he called over his shoulder. "See ya later."</p><p>It was yet another beautiful spring in Langara. Steve donned his sunglasses as he sped towards the hospital, the crisp wind whipping past his cheeks invigorating him almost as much as his morning run.</p><p>"Captain!" Sharon exclaimed as he arrived on the paediatric ward, waving at him from her computer station. "You're back again already? Usually we don't see you here more than a couple of times a week?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Steve said, rather sheepishly. "Just thought I'd see how Peter was doing. You know, since you said he's probably gonna be here awhile."</p><p>"Well, I'm glad that the two of you hit it off," said Sharon. "He's such a sweetie, isn't he?"</p><p>"Yeah, he really is." Steve paused, wondering if he should even bother to ask. "Um, do you know if his father's been able to come in and see him at all?"</p><p>Sharon shook her head. "No. His grandfather was here for a bit this morning, but I haven't seen the father since the morning he came in. It's too bad, really. I know it's only been a couple of days, but Peter really misses him. From what he's told me, they're really close."</p><p>"Oh. That's too bad," Steve said.</p><p>"Yes, it is," agreed Sharon. "But again, I'm sure he'll perk up when he sees you."</p><p>"Well, again, that's why I'm here," Steve said with a smile. "It's good to see you, Sharon."</p><p>"Likewise, Captain."</p><p>Outside of Peter's door, Steve raised his hand to knock, then hesitated. For some reason it seemed almost wrong for him to be there, to be grateful that a kid was sick just to satisfy his apparently inherent need to pretend that he was someone important in that kid's life for a few hours per week.</p><p>Especially when he knew that Peter would much rather be able to see his own father than some person he'd only just met.</p><p>But then again, based on what Steve had been able to observe of Peter's personality the previous day, he seemed to enjoy having company. So if his father couldn't be there, why not someone who could?</p><p>He had to be better than nothing, right?</p><p>Pursing his lips, Steve knocked on the door, smiling when he heard Peter's weak, "Come in."</p><p>"Hey, Steve!" Peter exclaimed as soon as Steve stepped inside, stifling a grimace at the sharp smell of external oxygen that filled the room. "You came back!"</p><p>"Hey, little guy," Steve said as he settled himself down on the spare chair. "I said I'd be back this afternoon, remember?"</p><p>Peter shrugged, rubbing at his nose. "Well, yeah, but… nevermind. How was your day? Did you have another patrol today?"</p><p>"Eh, it was okay, and yes, I did," Steve said, trying and failing to not immediately conjure an image of Anthony Stark in his mind. "But I'd rather not talk about my work, if that's okay with you."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah sure, that's fine," said Peter. "Did you remember to bring your sketchbook with you?"</p><p>Grinning, Steve reached for his notebook and pencil. "I sure did," he said as he flipped to a clean page. "Would you like to draw something with me?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Peter grabbed his notebook, flipping past a bunch of pages filled with line after line of what looked like gibberish—random letters, numbers, and symbols—until he came to an unfinished drawing of a bird's nest containing three eggs.</p><p>"This is over in that tree over there," Peter said, pointing out his window towards the large oak tree a few metres away. "And I've seen the momma bird a few times too, she's dark blue with red tips on her wings. She's really pretty."</p><p>"She definitely sounds pretty," Steve said as he squinted up at the nest, creating a mental picture. "You must have pretty good eyes to be able to see it so clearly."</p><p>"Yeah, my eyes are pretty good," Peter said with a chuckle. "One of the few parts of my body that actually work correctly."</p><p>Peter had meant his statement to be funny, but the frank words still hit Steve like a missile to the chest, something that didn't escape Peter's notice.</p><p>"It's okay, Steve," he said softly. "I'd rather be able to joke about it than just be wallowing in misery all the time, you know?"</p><p>"No, I'm not sure that I do, little guy," Steve said earnestly. Even his own experience as a small, rather sickly child could in no way compare with what Peter was going through. "But since it's not up to me I'll just have to take your word for it, okay?"</p><p>Peter smiled, a wide, bright smile that was so infectious that Steve couldn't help but smile back.</p><p>"Uh huh," he said. "So, you feel like drawing a bird's nest?"</p><p>"Absolutely," Steve answered, his pencil at the ready. "Let's go."</p><p>Just as he had the previous day, Steve managed to completely lose track of the time as he and Peter proceeded to create an entire backstory about the blue and red momma bird and her three eggs, complete with what career paths the chicks would choose and whether or not one of them would be allergic to worms, requiring the momma to bring her bugs to eat instead.</p><p>"And once again, you're still here," Sharon said to Steve as she swept into the room with Peter's dinner. Steve couldn't help but notice the way Peter's face fell when he saw her, having likely lost track of time himself, and his heart gave a lurch as he realised it likely meant that Peter's father wouldn't be able to make it to see him before the curfew.</p><p>"Will you be able to come back tomorrow, Steve?" Peter asked as Sharon listened to his chest. "You didn't quite finish your drawing."</p><p>"I'm afraid not, little guy," he said softly. Since rain was being forecasted for the next day his usual excuse of going for an afternoon drive wouldn't really fly with the rest of his teammates.</p><p>"But I should be able to the day after that, okay?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said, his huge brown eyes downcast. "Well, thanks for coming back."</p><p>Steve gently patted Peter's shoulder. "You're welcome, Peter. Have a good night, okay?"</p><p>"You too."</p><p>Steve's heart felt as heavy as a lead ball as he made his way down the hall and out to his motorcycle, pausing before he started the engine. If he was half as brave as he liked to think he was he would just admit to his teammates how he was spending his afternoons and just get it over with, instead of sneaking around all the time like a cat burglar or something.</p><p>But he couldn't. He had spent too much time and overcome too many hurdles to get where he was, and there was no way he was going to jeopardise it now.</p><p>Not when he had a chance to be the first Langaran to ever fly in space.</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Steve gripped the handlebars and started the bike, trying to push the unpleasant thoughts from his mind.</p><p>Compartmentalising, just like he always did.</p><hr/><p>"Dad, it's okay. I understand," Peter said into the phone, even as he tried to blink back his tears. He should've guessed that Dad wouldn't've been able to get away early enough to see him before curfew. "It doesn't help anything to get so upset about it."</p><p>"Well, maybe it should," Dad snapped. "Maybe I should just tell them that I'm not gonna cooperate anymore and see what they think about that."</p><p>"You know that won't work, Dad," Peter said softly. "Besides, no one else knows how to do this stuff, so if you don't do it then who will?"</p><p>He heard Dad sigh into the receiver. "I'm rapidly getting to the point where I just don't care anymore, Pete. If it means that I can't even get outta here in time to come and see you, then—then what's the goddamn point?"</p><p>"The point is that we can still keep this from happening to anyone else," Peter said, as firmly as he was able. His chest was feeling tight again, and the last thing he wanted was for his heart monitor to start beeping and get Dad even more worried.</p><p>"You know that the current continental power modules only have about five years left before they stop working, right? And that's only as long as they're able to keep up with the palladium mining requirements, which isn't exactly a given, so—"</p><p>"No, it's not," Dad interrupted. "But… gods, Pete, you're only eleven. You shouldn't even have to know any of this stuff, much less be concerned about it."</p><p>"That's not what you used to say," Peter reminded him. "You used to say that—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I know what I used to say." Dad paused, sucking in a deep breath. "Look, buddy, you know I like to sound off a bit when I'm upset, but—"</p><p>"Yeah, I do—"</p><p>"But I still don't want you exhausting yourself with all of this, okay? You want to still work in it, fine, just don't overdo it. You need to save up as much of your strength as you can."</p><p>"I know, Dad," Peter said, rather impatiently. He had just thought of something, a solution to one of the programming roadblocks he'd come up against, and he wanted to get it written down before his nurse came in to check on him again.</p><p>"Will you try and get some rest tonight too?" he asked. "Maybe even go home instead of conking out on your desk like you like to do?"</p><p>"Mmm, I'll think about it," Dad grumbled. "I love you, buddy. Sweet dreams, yeah?"</p><p>"Love you too, Dad. Talk to you soon."</p><p>As soon as he hung up the phone Peter grabbed his notebook, flipping through the pages until he found the big question mark he'd scribbled there earlier. Of course it made a lot more sense for them to use an element to power their new satellite system that didn't require frequent replacement, and based on what he'd learned from Grandpa before everything started going to hell, the vibranium would work perfectly.</p><p>As long as they could pry it out of the government's sticky hands, of course. According to Grandpa, the government had in their possession more than enough of the stuff to not only power the individual satellites, but also create a big enough containment vessel for the main power source that would—hopefully—be strong enough to prevent anyone from tampering with it.</p><p>Which, since it would be out in space it would be already difficult—impossible—anyway, but if the Langaran military government could be summed up in any single word it would be 'paranoid', so Peter needed to make sure that he left no room for any of their excess paranoia to possibly hinder the project.</p><p>Because, like it or not, what he'd told Dad earlier had been the absolute truth. The system they had developed wouldn't only benefit Langara, it would benefit the entire planet.</p><p>And, no matter how much Dad didn't want to hear it, Peter knew without a doubt that he had no right to stand in its way.</p><p>One person vs. twenty million. It didn't take a genius to know that the math just didn't add up.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊  </strong> </em>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for all of the kudos and kind comments, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!  😊</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Goddamnit," Tony muttered, groaning as the bar of soap he was attempting to use slipped from his hand and slid halfway across the ugly tiled floor of the shower stall.</p><p><em>You'd think with how many credits they waste on everything around here that they could hire an interior decorator or something, </em>Tony thought as he crouched down to retrieve the soap. <em>Since when have beige and drab army green ever been happy colours?</em></p><p>The soap back in hand, Tony tipped his head back, closing his eyes as the hot water rained down over him and letting out an almost embarrassing moan as it pelted against his shoulders and neck, the muscles there so rock-hard that Tony could almost hear an audible <em>ping</em> as each of the water droplets made contact with his skin.</p><p>How long had it been since he'd had a truly hot shower, instead of one of the lukewarm-to-freezing-cold variety after working yet another eighteen-hour day?</p><p>Tony honestly couldn't remember, but even he couldn't deny that it felt good. Like <em>damn </em>good, even if he'd never admit it out loud.</p><p>After realising that Tony hadn't been home in over three days Rhodey had decided that he'd had enough, practically yanking Tony's arm from its socket as he dragged him down to the cadets' locker room. Once there he shoved a bar of soap into Tony's hand and ordered him to not come out until he smelled better than the overflowing trash can next to his desk.</p><p>"And I'm gonna send someone in to empty your trash and clean up a bit in that office of yours too," Rhodey had warned as he placed a set of clean clothes onto the bench outside the stall. "Gods, Tony, there's no need for you to be living like you're still in university!"</p><p>"Okay, fine," Tony had begrudgingly said, accented with a rather exaggerated roll of his eyes. Over fifteen years of being friends with Rhodey had taught him that trying to argue with him when he was in one of his moods was about as useless as trying to find coffee in a civilian market. "Just so long as they don't touch anything!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Rhodey had muttered as he exited the locker room, still grumbling under his breath about the fact that he couldn't order Tony to take better care of himself since he wasn't officially under his command.</p><p><em>That's 'cause none of your goddamn military goons wanted me, </em>Tony thought bitterly. <em>Or at least not until they realised they weren't smart enough to do what they needed to do without me.</em></p><p>After staying in long enough that it would likely take a week for his fingers and toes to de-prune, Tony reluctantly shut off the water and blotted himself dry, his face twisting into a fierce scowl as his eyes trailed down the six-inch scar littering the centre of his chest, his semi-peaceful feeling all but evaporating into the cloud of steam rising above his head. He tried so hard to put its existence out of his mind that every single time he had to see it again it was as though he'd been slapped in the face with a brick.</p><p>Yet another futile attempt to assuage the guilt that constantly gnawed at him.</p><p>In fact, if guilt could ever be converted into usable currency, Tony was certain that he'd be a billionaire several times over.</p><p>
  <em>At least then I'd be able to afford my own son's surgery.</em>
</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Tony grabbed the clothes Rhodey had left for him, shoving the standard-issue black cadet t-shirt over his head and pulling on the army-green pants, once again wrinkling his nose at the drabness of the colours.</p><p><em>No wonder all these military boys are a bunch of stuck-up assholes, </em>he thought. <em>They're all walking around like a bunch of living, breathing action figures.</em></p><p>Action figures that Tony was certain he had even played with as a child, or at least he had before—</p><p>Well, <em>before.</em></p><p>Before everything started careening straight down into the deepest pits of hell, never to recover.</p><p>A massive shudder rippled through Tony's body as he remembered that night, that horrible night when his life got turned on its head. He'd been only six years old, his entire chest throbbing in pain as he screamed for his mother into the pitch-blackness of his bedroom, pain that only got worse when his mom finally returned to him, her face streaked with tears that had ruined all of the makeup she had so carefully applied.</p><p>"Momma? What's wrong?" he'd asked, his own pain temporarily forgotten. "Why are you crying?"</p><p>But she had refused to say, only telling him that he needed to try and go back to sleep and ignoring his tear-filled pleas for a light, any kind of light to break up the darkness that terrified him.</p><p>The darkness that still managed to terrify him.</p><p>The next morning he'd repeated the question, especially once he realised that his father was nowhere to be found. But again his mother refused to answer, only telling Tony that Howard was away and that she didn't know when he'd be back.</p><p>It wasn't until three days later, in the middle of watching his favourite cartoon show, that Tony discovered the truth.</p><p>Howard Stark, the world-famous scientist, inventor, and mastermind behind so much of the Langaran military's equipment that he even had a wing of the Air Corps base named after him, had been arrested for treason, a crime punishable by death.</p><p>Maria Stark hadn't even been home at the time, having left Tony in the care of one of Howard's SHIELD colleagues, Mr Edwin Jarvis, a man who had been honourably discharged from the Langaran army due to an injury and to whom Tony would eventually grow so attached that when he passed away almost fifteen years later, Tony felt as though he had lost the only father who had ever truly loved him. It was as if Mr Jarvis had been sent by the gods themselves for how much he cared for Tony, teaching him everything from how to ride a bike—"<em>because everyone should learn such a thing, Master Tony"</em>—to how to sew—"<em>you never know when you might require such a skill, Master Tony"</em>—to how to properly ask a girl out on a date that didn't end with Tony getting slapped across the face.</p><p>And every single night, with so few exceptions that Tony could count them on one hand, Mr Jarvis sat with Tony as he attempted to fall asleep, promising him over and over that no monsters were going to come and steal his heart away while it was dark.</p><p>And then, on Tony's seventeenth birthday, the legal age of adulthood in Langara, Mr Jarvis had presented Tony with a gift, the timepiece that he still wore, and from then on referred to him as <em>Mister </em>Tony, informing him that he was no longer a boy but a man, and a man of whom he was most proud, indeed.</p><p>Howard Stark's trial for conspiracy and treason had stretched on for almost three years, permeating so thoroughly throughout the battered Langaran society that even though he was eventually found not guilty, he, along with Maria and Tony, were already so ostracised by the general public that it might've honestly been easier on everyone if he had been convicted. Mr Jarvis had warned Tony that the trial of public opinion would be harsher and crueler than any criminal trial could ever be, and he had been absolutely correct. So correct that until Tony turned seventeen, he never went anywhere out in society without Mr Jarvis at his side.</p><p>And then, just a couple of months before Tony turned twenty and only six months after the death of his mother, Mr Jarvis died, passing away peacefully in his sleep.</p><p>It was something that Tony did not handle well. Not at <em>all.</em></p><p>In fact, he tried so hard to <em>not </em>handle it—spiraling into a vicious whirlpool of alcohol, drugs, and sex—that he very nearly managed to get himself killed on numerous occasions before finally being pulled from the brink of destruction by Rhodey, his friend from university, who for some reason had decided to take Tony under his wing despite there being absolutely no benefit at all for him to do so.</p><p>And slowly, with many lost days, Tony was eventually able to find his way back to reality.</p><p>A reality that really slammed home the day he received a phone call from a doctor at the hospital, telling him that a baby had been born earlier that night whose mother had named him as the father.</p><p>At first Tony didn't believe him; he may have been drunk and stoned out of his mind most of the time but he had always been careful when it came to his hookups, be them with boys or girls, and had never had any reason to believe the occasional oddball claim that he had fathered a kid out there somewhere.</p><p>Somehow, though, DNA testing proved the claim to be true, and once again Tony's entire life was turned on its head.</p><p>And for Tony, who after witnessing the destruction of his parents' marriage and most of his mother's sanity in the years following Howard's trial had completely sworn off ever falling in love or having a family, it had only taken one long look at his new baby boy for him to fall head-over-heels in love with him.</p><p>Peter Edwin Stark. The child Tony had never known that he'd needed until he had him, and now the child that Tony would do anything, <em>anything </em>to save.</p><p>Even if that meant playing puppet to a Langaran military government who seemed to be absolutely hell-bent on continuing to punish Howard Stark through his son, despite their own admittance that none of their own scientists or engineers could even come close to what Tony could offer them.</p><p>And, like a fool, Tony allowed it. He allowed them to hold the promise of granting Peter his life-saving surgery over his head like a dangling carrot because he had no other choice. There were no other options for Peter, no more drugs or therapies to try that would extend his life more than a few months.</p><p>The surgery was Peter's only hope, and everyone knew it.</p><p>Especially the government, who as soon as Peter's prognosis was made official, proceeded to demand so much work from Tony it was as if he were in some kind of sick and twisted study on how far you could push another human being before they completely cracked, right down the middle.</p><p>Which, although he'd become a certified expert at hiding it over the years, Tony was getting a lot closer to than he wanted to admit.</p><p>But at least now he smelled better.</p><p>Tossing his used towel into the bin by the door, Tony exited the locker room, one hand holding up the loose waistband of his pants and his eyes trained on the floor as he ran through his latest set of calculations through his head, searching for any possible errors that he would need to correct before the pilots had their first jaunt up in the X-302s the following day. Tony had asked Phillips for an extra day so he could triple-check everything but as usual his request had been denied by the leadership, saying that no delay would be tolerated unless it was due to an unavoidable equipment failure.</p><p>Which of course, they would then blame on him.</p><p>Tony was so deep in thought that he didn't even realise how fast he was walking until he rounded the final corner towards his office and proceeded to slam directly into a solid wall, dropping him flat on his ass and sending his glasses skittering across the floor.</p><p>A wall that actually turned out to be a human. A tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed human who from the feel of him was built from something a lot harder than normal flesh and bone.</p><p>"Holy <em>shit!"</em> he exclaimed as he squinted up at the guy, who appeared about as stunned as Tony felt. "What the hell are you made from, iron?"</p><p>"Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" the guy said, sputtering apologies as he reached a hand down to help Tony up. Tony took the offered hand and hoisted himself back to his feet, frowning as he focused in on the soldier's face.</p><p>It was Captain Rogers, Mr Go-Get-'Em himself from the X-302 briefing.</p><p>"Mr Stark!" Rogers exclaimed, his pale cheeks flushing pink. "Uh… are you all right?"</p><p>"Yeah, I think so," Tony said shortly as he scanned the blurry floor for his glasses, finally locating them about four metres away. They weren't broken, thank the gods. Tony did have a spare pair hiding somewhere between his office and the house, but finding both the time and the patience to look for them while at the same time not being able to see a single goddamn thing wasn't something he felt like doing at the moment.</p><p>Or any moment, for that matter.</p><p>"Are your glasses okay?" Rogers asked, his expression hovering between a grimace and something that Tony couldn't quite identify. He slid the glasses onto his face, sneaking a quick but admiring glance at Rogers' broad shoulders before forcibly averting his gaze.</p><p>"Yeah, they seem good too. No harm done."</p><p>
  <em>And now you can move yourself right along, pretty boy, before I manage to embarrass myself even more.</em>
</p><p>"All right," said Rogers, and Tony could've sworn that the flush on Rogers' cheeks grew even deeper, right along with the deep wrinkle between his eyebrows.</p><p>If Tony didn't know better, he would've thought that the no-nonsense pilot almost looked <em>flustered.</em></p><p>But pilots didn't get flustered, did they? Weren't they always bragging about how nothing ever fazed them? That they could scale the edge of a mountain close enough to distinguish the different colours of the rocks or stare down the tip of an approaching Meridian Class-III anti-aircraft missile and not even break a sweat?</p><p>At least that's what Colonel Phillips was always saying, according to the briefing reports that Tony had to read through every single day, and he was pretty sure that Rhodey spouted something similar to the hordes of cadets that came through the flight training school every six months.</p><p>Pilots were supposed to be invincible. But while Rogers definitely looked the part, it didn't take a genius to figure out that something about Tony rattled him.</p><p><em>Probably just needs to get laid, </em>Tony thought, stifling a cough as his traitorous mind proceeded to immediately conjure up a mental image of Captain Rogers standing in front of him wearing nothing except for… well… no, on second thought, nothing would do just fine, thank you very much.</p><p>
  <em>Good freaking grief. What the goddamn hell is wrong with me? Dude's so hot he probably has dozens of girls lined up outside his barracks door every night.</em>
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  <em>Or guys, depending on his preference.</em>
</p><p>Being embedded within the Air Corps for as long as he'd been, Tony had heard plenty of stories about the voracious sexual appetites of the pilots, with some even bragging about how they had worked sex into their pre- or post-flight routines.</p><p>And people used to call Tony a playboy.</p><p>
  <em>Hmph.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said, a bit more sharply this time. He had absolutely no business standing there ogling a pilot while his son was in the hospital fighting for his life, no matter what shade of blue his eyes were or how broad his shoulders were or how his jaw looked like it was strong enough to cut glass.</p><p>"Well, I guess I'll see ya around, Captain."</p><p>Rogers blinked, clearing his throat as he nodded, those intense eyes of his almost boring a hole through Tony's skull.</p><p>
  <em>They are so. Damn. Blue! How is that even humanly possible?</em>
</p><p>"M-Mr Stark," he said. "I'm—I'm glad you're okay."</p><p>
  <em>Yeah. Sure you are.</em>
</p><p>Turning on his heel, Tony hurried back to his office, relieved when he found that whoever Rhodey had ordered to clean it had thankfully left his desk untouched, as everything was still in its same semi-organised chaotic place.</p><p>And—of course—the message light on his phone was blinking.</p><p>
  <em>Typical.</em>
</p><p>Plunking himself down onto his chair, Tony reached for the phone, his left hand slowly curling into a tight fist as he not-so-patiently listened to the five messages left by various members of the Air Corps leadership, all requesting—<em>ordering</em>—even more work from him. Three additional simulation programs for the X-302, an update on the performance of the X-301s, his opinion if the X-204s were ready to be retired or if they could still be utilised for possible combat manoeuvre training—<em>they're not even three years old yet, for fuck's sake?</em>—and if he'd be interested in—<em>do I have a choice?</em>—preparing a lecture on basic flight aerodynamics for Colonel Rhodes' new cadet class that was beginning in two weeks.</p><p>As soon as the last message was done Tony slumped into his chair, groaning as he poked at the ON button on the ancient computer workstation that took up over half of his desk space. He had only received it about a couple of weeks ago, after having put in the request for it—<em>how long ago was that, again?</em>—too long ago for him to even remember how long ago it'd been.</p><p>As capable as Tony was of designing complex flight simulations in his head, the more complex the simulations the more difficult it had become for him to translate those ideas onto paper. Peter was the artist in their family, not him, and Tony wasn't about to add to Peter's stress level by having to ask him to draw stuff out for him anymore.</p><p>And while the computer was so old that it took almost five minutes to completely boot up, it was at least better than nothing.</p><p><em>Guess it's gonna be another late night</em>, Tony thought as he typed in the opening commands, letting out a heavy sigh as he reached for the framed photograph of Peter. It had been taken on a beautiful sunny summer day about a week after his third birthday, only a few days before the severe hypoxic episode that landed him in the hospital and eventually led to the diagnosis of his heart defect. Tony had already begun to notice certain things that were odd, like Peter's lips turning a funky colour after he'd been running around and the fact that his little hands and feet were always freezing cold no matter how warm it was outside, but it wasn't until the lead doctor ordered the expensive-as-hell scan of Peter's heart that they'd discovered how bad it really was.</p><p>It had never even occurred to Tony—or to Howard, for that matter—to ask for Peter's heart to be checked when he was a baby, especially since aside from being a bit small he had always seemed to be perfectly healthy. The type of defect that Peter had usually wasn't genetic in nature, so it had never even crossed Tony's mind.</p><p>Not that they likely would've done it if he'd asked anyway, but it still might have helped to ease some of his guilt.</p><p>Then again, knowing Tony, most likely not.</p><p>Biting his lip, Tony trailed his fingers down Peter's round cheek, smiling at the adorably crooked grin on his little face as he mugged for the camera. How innocent he had been back then, how blissfully ignorant of everything that was so unbelievably fucked-up in the world, as it should've been for such a tiny kid.</p><p>As it still should've been even now. Peter was only eleven, still a few months from his twelfth birthday and so still five whole years away from becoming a legal Langaran adult, and yet, he'd already won more unwinnable battles than the entire Air Corps complement of cocky flyboys combined.</p><p>If anyone was a true hero, it was Peter. The military could gloat all they wanted about how long it had been since the last successful Meridian attack or how much safer Langaran citizens were under their protection, but Tony knew that it was all just a bunch of propaganda.</p><p>After all, keeping over twenty million people content under martial law for the last twenty-eight years hadn't exactly been easy, but Tony had a strong feeling that it was going to be even harder for him to convince them to choose to give up their power, even if it meant the betterment of the entire planet.</p><hr/><p>"Batter up!" Steve yelled as he twisted the balls of his feet further into the dirt, readying his bat. "C'mon, Sam, I'm ready!"</p><p>Not surprisingly, the rain forecasted for that afternoon had decided at the last minute to cancel its scheduled appearance, and since Steve was fresh out of excuses for avoiding his teammates he had reluctantly agreed to head out to the ball field once their patrol shift was over, hoping that smashing a few baseballs over the far fence would help to curb the rather annoying ache that had been gnawing at him ever since he'd first laid eyes on Anthony Stark.</p><p>Unfortunately, even though he'd already sent three balls sailing over Bucky's head in left-centerfield the ache was still there, like a loose thread in his flight suit that was just sharp enough to chafe his skin if he moved the wrong way.</p><p>And the fact that he'd literally ran into Anthony earlier hadn't helped either. Not in the slightest.</p><p>"Hold on there, superman, just give me a minute!" Sam retorted, adjusting his sunglasses as he twirled the ball in his hand. Steve watched as he wound up, sucking in a sharp breath as his left foot rose from the ground and he initiated his swing as soon as Sam released the ball, hitting it square on and sending it flying. Shielding his eyes with his hand, Steve watched as the ball sailed in a perfect rainbow-esque arc right over the fence while Bucky just watched it go, not even bothering to try and run after it.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Sam said after a pause of several beats, shaking his head in Steve's direction. "Well, sorry there, Cap, but seeing as how that was our last ball, unless you feel like hurtling the fence to go get 'em we're gonna have to call it a day."</p><p>Frustrated, Steve slammed the end of his bat down onto the plate, the resulting <em>crack </em>from the jagged split causing him to shudder.</p><p><em>Some stress relief, </em>he thought bitterly. If anything he was even more stressed out now than he'd been before they started, not to mention how he was now going to have to order some poor cadet to go and fetch all of the baseballs <em>and</em> buy a new bat.</p><p>"Maybe we should go shoot some hoops instead?" Bucky said as he jogged up next to Sam. "Let Stevie practise his half-court shots?"</p><p>"No, thanks," muttered Steve. "I think I'll just… go and get cleaned up." It was only about an hour until dinnertime so too late for him to sneak away to visit Peter, and if he took a long enough shower and then went over his briefing materials for the new aircraft one more time, he would hopefully be calmed down enough to eat.</p><p>"You sure? I'm sure we could find a few plebes roaming around that wouldn't mind a little three-on-three?" said Bucky, eyeing Steve suspiciously. "You seem like you still have plenty of steam to let off."</p><p>Steve attempted a smile, gripping his cracked bat with white knuckles. "Maybe next time, Buck, all right? I'll see you guys at dinner."</p><p>"Well, okay then, if you're sure," Sam said with a frown. "I guess we'll see you later."</p><p>Hurrying into the officers' locker room, Steve dumped his bat into the trash bin and headed straight for the showers, turning up the water as hot as he could tolerate in the hopes it could somehow burn away the uneasiness that had been slowly trying to consume him from the inside out.</p><p>First it had been Riley's death, which happened so quickly that it was as though Steve had blinked and suddenly Riley was nothing more than an airborne fireball, and one so close that Steve had actually <em>felt </em>the searing heat from it.</p><p>If he hadn't banked right when he had he would've gone up too, and likely taken Sam right along with him.</p><p>Then came the hospital visits, something that Steve had begun doing as a way to satisfy his desire to think of himself as a father-type figure without any of the responsibility—and risk—of having an actual child of his own. For a long time they had been an excellent source of stress relief, revealing in the oohs and aahs of an awed child for an hour or so every few days. Steve had always imagined that he would've been the same way if his father had lived, hanging onto Papa's every word as he told story after story of the aircraft he had flown and the battles he had fought.</p><p>But then the kid Peter had to come along and completely change things. The fact that an eleven-year-old kid could be so thoroughly unimpressed by Steve's piloting skills and yet so awed by the fact that he could draw, a hobby that he'd had since he was a small child, was something that Steve wouldn't've seen coming in a million years.</p><p>And yet at the same time, now that he had gotten a taste of being admired for who he actually was as a person instead of a certain selective skill set, Steve found himself constantly craving more of it, almost like a drug. Peter was just so… <em>genuine</em>, and it had been so long since Steve had met anyone who wasn't wearing some kind of invisible mask that he'd almost forgotten what it was like.</p><p>Even now, just thinking about the deep-seated hurt in the boy's huge brown eyes when he spoke of how much he missed his father, hurt so profound that it made Steve hurt to even look at him, made Steve want to punch something for the unfairness of it all.</p><p>Someone that remarkably <em>good</em> shouldn't be forced to suffer with a broken heart. Not if there was a perfectly good way to to fix it.</p><p>Steve was in the middle of rinsing his hair when the idea hit him, nearly causing him to get soap in his eyes in his haste to finish. He quickly towelled off, pulling on his clothes so hurriedly that he almost exited the locker room with his t-shirt on backwards.</p><p>"Can I help you, sir?" asked the cadet overseeing the computer lab as soon as Steve stepped inside. She had shot to her feet so fast upon seeing Steve that she'd bumped into her desk, the resulting scraping noise on the polished linoleum floor sending a shiver down Steve's spine. He'd always hated that sound.</p><p>"As you were," Steve ordered as he returned the cadet's salute. "And no, I'm just here to do some research."</p><p>"Very good, sir. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance," the cadet said with a rather confused nod. It was rare indeed for an officer to show his face in the cadets' computer lab, but the kind of information Steve was after wouldn't likely be as easy to find on his handheld datapad.</p><p>Steve waved her off with a nod before sitting down at the workstation over in the far corner, hoping it would help prevent him from being interrupted. He didn't really feel like answering anyone's curious questions at the moment.</p><p>"Project Rebirth," Steve muttered under his breath as he slowly typed it into the search bar, adding in his clearance code when prompted.</p><p>"<em>Only Omega-level personnel have full access to the Project Rebirth database," </em>the computer spat back. "<em>Press 'Continue' to access all non-classified files."</em></p><p>Frowning, Steve pressed the button, sitting back in his chair as page one of the file appeared on his screen. He had asked Colonel Phillips in the past why he was barred from accessing the Project Rebirth files since he was personally the subject of them, but Phillips had just waved him off, telling him that the whole thing was a lot bigger than just one man.</p><p><em>But it wasn't originally just one man, was it? </em>Steve thought as he scanned through the file, finding nothing that he didn't already know. <em>There was supposedly enough of the stuff for six of us, so what happened to the rest of it?</em></p><p>From what Steve already knew, desperate for anything to give them an edge on an already devastating and very costly war, Langaran military scientists—with the help of a few civilian contractors—had developed what they termed a Super Soldier serum, a compound designed to enhance a soldier's strength and physical agility in the hopes that these enhanced soldiers would be able to turn the tide of the war that much faster. As a small and rather sickly child who had grown into a small and still rather sickly young man, Steve hadn't even been under consideration to get the special serum until Colonel Phillips showed up at his ma's house late one night after curfew. Steve vividly remembered how they had locked themselves in his father's old study for nearly half the night, discussing various things back and forth in increasingly loud voices that finally came to a head when his mother yelled at Phillips that he knew it was what Joseph—Steve's father—would've wanted, and that Phillips at least owed him that.</p><p>But as to exactly <em>what</em> Colonel Phillips owed Steve's father, Steve never found out. All he knew was the very next day, even though Steve was already eighteen and technically a year older than the military preferred for its enlisted men, his ma approached Steve and asked him if he wanted to participate in the program.</p><p>And Steve, desperate to serve his country in any way that he could, had readily agreed.</p><p>The procedure itself had been excruciating; his entire body feeling like it was getting forcibly stretched while being blasted with enough intense radiation to make the Battle of the Continents look like a house party. But once it was over, and he had emerged from the test capsule almost a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier, Steve was convinced that it'd been worth it.</p><p>And he still was, there was no question about it. There was no doubt in his mind that the procedure ended up saving his life, as he had grown up with such severe—and costly—lung problems that he likely wouldn't have lived much past his nineteenth birthday having to rely on the medicines that were available to civilians.</p><p>However, none of that was the information he was looking for.</p><p>After pondering for a couple of minutes, Steve typed in another query, this time searching for the names of current and former civilian scientist liaisons, a list for which his clearance level was just barely high enough.</p><p>Not surprisingly, the list was short.</p><p>
  <em>Anthony Stark - knew that one already.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Justin Hammer - oh yeah, that's the dude who Bucky said didn't know his head from his ass. And he was right.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reed Richards - hmm… never heard of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bruce Banner - isn't that the guy who was killed in that bad accident a few years ago?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hank Pym - that name sounds vaguely familiar, but—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Howard Stark.</em>
</p><p>"Oh, <em>gods!"</em> Steve exclaimed, so loudly that the cadet up in the front of the room shot to her feet, standing at attention.</p><p>"Sir?" she asked. "Are you all right?"</p><p>"What?" Steve snapped, giving his head a quick shake when the cadet blinked. "Oh, yes, cadet, I'm fine. As you were."</p><p>"Yes, sir," the cadet said, rather warily. Steve shot her a harsh look as she sat back down, hoping it would be enough to keep her from poking her nose where it didn't belong.</p><p>"Oh, gods," Steve repeated, squeezing his head between his hands. His ma had told him that Howard had worked for the Langaran military's SHIELD division before the Battle of the Continents, but hearing it as a child and seeing it on an official Langaran military database were two completely different things.</p><p>And seeing both it and Anthony listed amongst other people who were supposed to be patriots was even more difficult. Howard Stark had turned out to be nothing more than a traitor, and Steve still couldn't understand how he had managed to be acquitted after his massive and hugely expensive trial.</p><p><em>But then again, </em>the tiny little voice deep inside Steve's head whispered. <em>If you truly thought that then why haven't you been able to stop thinking about Anthony ever since you first saw him during the briefing?</em></p><p>Steve huffed, scowling as he tried to push the little voice back down into the deep recesses of his mind, where it belonged. He had tried very hard to ignore the fact that he found Anthony not only beyond beautiful but also charming as well, an effect made even more obvious when he smiled.</p><p>And those <em>eyes.</em> Such a rich colour of brown flecked with bits of green and gold. So beautiful—and somehow familiar? How was that possible?—and yet laced with an underlying layer of such intense sadness that it both pained Steve and intrigued him at the same time.</p><p>Working for the Langaran military was a job that most civilians could only dream of having, so what in the world could Anthony Stark possibly be so sad about?</p><p>
  <em>Maybe because his father was a traitor and he knows he got off when he shouldn't have?</em>
</p><p>Quickly dismissing that thought as ridiculous, Steve pursed his lips and clicked on Howard Stark's name, bracing himself as the file began scrolling across the screen.</p><p>
  <em>Civilian contractor with the Langaran government's SHIELD division. Accused of treason following the Battle of the Continents. Trial eventually ended in acquittal, although rampant speculation exists that the acquittal was actually due to a hung jury, not that Stark was in fact innocent.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I already know all of this," Steve muttered. He continued scrolling down, searching for a list of the projects that Howard's division had worked on.</p><p>A list that nearly caused him to choke on his own spit once he finally found it.</p><p>Once again, it was as though someone had dropped a bucket of ice water down Steve's spine as his disbelieving eyes read through the vast list of projects, a list that included none other than Project Rebirth.</p><p>Howard Stark had apparently helped to create the very serum that had not only saved Steve's life, but had also enabled him to become the top-notch pilot that he was. In addition to his enhanced height, strength, agility, and senses, Steve's reflexes were also much faster than normal, a trait that had turned out to be very useful during a dogfight.</p><p>And while attempting to dodge a teammate's aircraft that had just gone up in flames.</p><p>Steve's stomach growled then, a sharp reminder that he was once again late to meet his teammates for dinner. He glanced down at his abdomen, silently telling it that it was just going to have to wait a bit longer. He wasn't yet done.</p><p>Unfortunately, clicking on the Project Rebirth title under Howard Stark's name only got him back to the same information that he'd already read, causing Steve to grit his teeth in frustration.</p><p>
  <em>But where'd the rest of the serum go? Is it just sitting around in some deep-freeze somewhere?</em>
</p><p>And if so, why couldn't it be used to help a boy like Peter? Surely if it had been able to fix Steve's severe lung disease it could also work to fix Peter's heart, couldn't it?</p><p>And why hadn't anyone ever told him that Howard Stark had created it in the first place?</p><p>A flood of shame suddenly washed over Steve, one so strong that it nearly knocked him off his chair. Growing up without a father had been awful, a fate that Steve wouldn't wish on anyone no matter who they were. But growing up with a father who'd been accused of treason and all of its accompanying ramifications… well… Steve wondered if that maybe had to have been even worse.</p><p>Which then led Steve to yet another question: was Anthony Stark working for the Air Corps on his own accord, or because the government decided that he needed to be punished for his father's sins even though Howard was found not guilty?</p><p>Or maybe even <em>because</em> he was found not guilty, and the government still felt that they needed a scapegoat?</p><p>Another loud growl of his stomach jarred Steve from his thoughts, and he scowled, cursing his rapid metabolism for probably the first time in his life. He still had about a hundred unanswered questions, but he also had a strong feeling that if he happened to pass out from low blood sugar that there'd be no way Phillips would let him go up in the X-302 in the morning, and Steve wasn't about to jeopardise that.</p><p>With a frustrated sigh, Steve closed out his queries and shut down the workstation, giving the cadet at the desk a brief nod on his way out the door.</p><p>Unfortunately, Steve had barely made it ten metres down the hall before he heard a familiar voice calling his name.</p><p>"Captain Rogers!" Colonel Phillips called—or rather, yelled—through his open office door, which just happened to be only a few doors down from the computer lab. "A word, if you don't mind?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said as he entered the vast office space, sweeping past the private who served as Phillips's secretary with a brief salute before making his way into Phillips's inner office.</p><p>"Yes, sir?" he asked.</p><p>Phillips jerked his head, indicating the still-open door. "Get that closed, Captain."</p><p>Frowning, Steve turned on his heels and closed the door, his heart thudding madly. He couldn't imagine why Phillips could be upset with him. It's not like he'd done anything illegal.</p><p>Then again, Phillips had always been a bit difficult to read.</p><p>"So," Phillips began. "Felt like doing a bit of research this afternoon, did you, Rogers?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," answered Steve. "But it was on my own time, so I'm not sure why it'd be necessary for you to—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Phillips interrupted. "Look, I'll cut right to the chase. Why the hell were you looking up information on Howard Stark?"</p><p>Steve's eyes immediately went wide. "Were you—?" he started, snapping his mouth closed with Phillips raised his hand.</p><p>"No, no. I wasn't checking up on you, if that's indeed what you were asking," he said. "There are a few things that automatically get flagged whenever anyone conducts a query for them in the database, and Howard Stark's name just happens to be one of those."</p><p>Steve instinctively frowned. Something about that didn't exactly sit well with him.</p><p>"I see," he said warily. "I was just doing some research, Colonel. Nothing more than that."</p><p>"On Howard Stark?" asked Phillips, his eyebrows knitting together when Steve nodded. "Okay. Why?"</p><p>"Because I was curious?" Steve said, just a hair shy of patronising. Being so hungry was sorely testing his patience. "I wasn't aware that Howard's son was involved in the test-flight program, so I was just wondering—"</p><p>"Which is something that you could've simply asked me directly," Phillips said. "Now, cut the crap and tell me the real reason why, hmm? So we can all get on with our evening?"</p><p>Steve breathed in, shaking his head. Phillips had always granted him a bit of leeway since he'd been so close with Steve's father, and Steve knew better than to push too hard against that, but…</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me that Howard Stark was involved with Project Rebirth?" he blurted out, immediately clenching his fists at his sides. Leeway or not, Phillips was still Steve's commanding officer, and lower ranking officers weren't exactly supposed to demand things from their superiors.</p><p>To Steve's relief, Phillips only nodded as he sat down on a corner of his desk, suddenly looking much older.</p><p>"Would you have still volunteered for the procedure if I had?" he asked.</p><p>"Well, that's kinda beside the point now, sir, wouldn't you say?" Steve replied. "I still should've had all the facts before I agreed to participate, and yet you specifically chose to leave that one off. Why?"</p><p>"I had my reasons," snapped Phillips. "Not the least of which was not wanting to upset Sarah any more than she was already. The serum was sound and the procedure was foolproof. Stark's involvement with its development was not necessary information."</p><p>"And why was that, sir?" Steve asked. He was only barely clinging to his temper, and the fact that his stomach was now almost continuously growling wasn't helping.</p><p>But Phillips only shook his head. "That's classified, kid. Sorry."</p><p>"A fact I happened to notice, even though I'm the subject of those files," Steve said sharply. "That doesn't seem fair to me."</p><p>"No, it's not, but it's also not up to me," Phillips grumbled, and Steve's head snapped back in surprise. He couldn't recall ever hearing Phillips speak anything less than admirably about their military leadership.</p><p>Then again, Steve hadn't ever dared to press him like he was either.</p><p>"And why is that, Colonel?" he demanded, riding a sudden surge of either bravery or stupidity, he wasn't quite sure. "What's in those files that they don't want me to know?"</p><p>"I told you, <em>Captain,"</em> Phillips said after a short pause, his eyes intense. "It's <em>classified."</em></p><p>Steve huffed out a sharp breath, his shoulders sagging. "Well, can you at least tell me if there's any of the serum left? I know the project was originally designed for six participants, but—"</p><p>"That was the original plan, yes," said Phillips. "However, due to shall we say, extenuating circumstances, we were forced to stop with just you."</p><p>"All right, but that still doesn't answer my question," said Steve. "Is there any of the serum still left?"</p><p>Phillips's bushy eyebrows knitted together, and for a moment Steve could've sworn he saw a flash of uncertainty spark in his eyes.</p><p>"Potentially," he said quietly. "And that information is not to leave this room, do you understand me?"</p><p>"Yes, sir, I understand, but—"</p><p>"But what?" asked Phillips. "Why the sudden interest all of a sudden, Rogers? For crying out loud it's been ten damn years!"</p><p>"Because I—" Steve started, then immediately paused, fighting the urge to clap his hand over his mouth. "I was just wondering, sir. Nothing more."</p><p>"No, no, don't you be trying to give me any of that bullshit, Steven, you know you're a goddamn terrible liar!" barked Phillips. "How many times have I had to tell you that?"</p><p>"But, sir—!"</p><p>"Just tell me the goddamn truth!" Phillips yelled, and Steve's belly gave a swoop at the colonel's tone, brash as per his usual, but also with an underlying measure of fear that Steve had never before heard.</p><p>"Because I'd like to know if it could be used again, on someone else," Steve answered. "More specifically, on a kid."</p><p>"Oh? And what kid might that be?"</p><p>Steve gave a sheepish shrug, biting down hard on his lip. He'd never mentioned his hospital visits to anyone, but knowing Phillips, he probably already knew about them anyway.</p><p>"Just a kid I met at the hospital," said Steve. "From what he tells me he's got a pretty messed-up heart, one that should've been fixed a long time ago, and I just thought—"</p><p>"What's his name?" Phillips cut in. "The kid? What's his name?"</p><p>"Why does it matter if—?"</p><p>"Goddamnit, Rogers! Just tell me his name!"</p><p>"His name's Peter," Steve spat out, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. "His name is Peter, and he's the sweetest, most genuine kid that I've ever met in my life, who misses his dad with every single one of his waking minutes, and—" The rest of Steve's words died on his lips as he took in the expression on Phillips's grizzled face, one of shock mixed with anguish.</p><p>"Colonel? Do you know the kid I'm talking about?" he asked.</p><p>Phillips's eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer, lowering his voice.</p><p>"What I'm about to tell you could end both my career and yours," he said. "And I'm not talking about the whole happy retirement-type end. I'm talking about a court-martial, going to prison-type end, do you understand me?</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said quickly. He had always been very good at keeping secrets.</p><p>"Good. 'Cause as much as I might like you, I'm not really in the mood to take a missile shot for you at the moment, is that clear?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said firmly.</p><p>Phillips huffed, his frown deepening. "All right. As a matter of fact I do know the kid you're talking about," he said. "His full name is Peter Stark."</p><p>It took Steve about three seconds for it to fully sink in, his heart thudding so erratically that he felt lightheaded. It all made perfect sense now. Peter's eyes and hair were the very same shade of brown as Anthony's, his nose was the same shape, and, now that he thought about it, Steve had even noticed a few similar mannerisms.</p><p>It also explained the intense stress that Steve had noticed in Anthony. He couldn't imagine the pressure Anthony was under with such a sick child, and, as busy as Steve imagined Anthony was, he also knew there was no way it could be easy for him to get away to visit his son before curfew.</p><p>"Um, did you say, <em>Stark?</em>" he asked, just on the infinitesimally minuscule chance that he'd somehow heard wrong. "As in <em>those</em>—?"</p><p>"Yes, Steve, as in <em>those </em>Starks," Phillips stated. "Peter Stark is Howard Stark's grandson."</p><hr/><p>"There," Peter murmured as he finished shading in his latest drawing of Mrs Bird and her three chicks, tilting his head as he added a single wayward feather sticking straight up on the top of the smallest chick's head. It was something that Peter could empathise with, always having had such crazy hair as a little kid.</p><p>Actually, he still had pretty crazy hair. No matter which direction he tried to get his curls to go they always seemed to have their own rather unpredictable plan, and he had pretty much given up trying to tame them. What little energy he did have was far better spent on things besides arm-wrestling his hair into place.</p><p>A knock on his door caused his head to snap up. "Come in?" he said eagerly. Dad had said that he would try to come and—</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," Ms Sharon said sadly as she came into the room, a telephone receiver in one hand. "It's your dad."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>It was all Peter could do to force a smile as he took the phone from the pretty nurse. He should've known it wasn't going to happen since the sun was almost completely set already, but…</p><p>He'd still hoped though.</p><p>
  <em>Guess hope is getting to be too dangerous now.</em>
</p><p>"Thank you, Ms Sharon," he said, blinking back tears.</p><p>Ms Sharon patted his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile. "You're welcome, sweetie. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll see you the day after that, all right?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said with a nod. "Have a nice day off."</p><p>As soon as Ms Sharon left the room Peter sniffed, swiping the tears from his eyes. It wouldn't do any good for Dad to hear that he was upset.</p><p>"Hey, Dad."</p><p>"Hey, buddy," Dad said, sounding so exhausted that a knot rose in Peter's throat. "You can probably figure out while I'm calling, yeah?"</p><p>Peter squeezed his eyes closed, trying to keep the tears contained. "Yeah, I can. I'm sorry, Dad."</p><p>"No, no, nothing you can do about it," Dad said firmly. "But I will definitely be making it there tomorrow, okay? Colonel Phillips even said so."</p><p>"Really?" Peter exclaimed, covering the receiver so he didn't cough in Dad's ear. "I mean, really? How?"</p><p>"Yeah, I thought it was weird too, but Phillips has always been kind of a weird old bat anyway, so I guess I shouldn't be too shocked," said Dad. "It's not the strangest thing that he's ever done."</p><p>"Dad," warned Peter. "You know you shouldn't be saying stuff like that too loud."</p><p>"Nah, bud, I'm not worried about Phillips. But like I said; he came by just a few minutes ago and told me that he would personally make sure that I got out of here on time tomorrow, so you make sure to dust off your party hat before I get there, okay?"</p><p>"I'll do you one better than that," Peter said. "I think I've finished all the coding."</p><p>There was a pause, one where Peter could picture Dad's half-amused frown almost as clearly as if he were standing next to him.</p><p>"Pete, I thought I told you not to worry about that," he finally said. "I don't want you wasting your strength on—"</p><p>"It's just writing, Dad, something I do all the time anyway," Peter answered. "It's not like I'm doing much of anything else."</p><p>"Which is just fine with me, so—"</p><p>"I've also named it," Peter cut in. "I figured something this monumental deserved a name. But it's a surprise, so you'll have to wait to see it till you get here tomorrow."</p><p>Dad let out a sigh, one so heavy it probably would've knocked him over if he hadn't been sitting down.</p><p>"Now why doesn't that surprise me, hmm?"</p><p>Peter smiled, his first real smile of the day. "I didn't think it would. I can't wait for you to see it, I think you'll really like it."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure. I should be showing up around dinnertime tomorrow, all right?"</p><p>"Uh huh. Try not to work too hard, okay?"</p><p>"We'll see, bud," said Dad. "Sleep well, yeah? I love you."</p><p>"Love you too, Dad."</p><p>Switching off the receiver, Peter placed it on his bedside table and grabbed his notebook, laying back against his pillows. A proud smile stretched across his lips as he flipped through the pages, landing on the lines of code he'd just completed earlier that day.</p><p>The project was now finished. Or at least as much as it could be until Dad could input it into his computer and test it out, but finished nonetheless.</p><p>"Hello there, JARVIS," Peter whispered as he trailed his fingertip across the letters, numbers, and symbols that made up the program that would hopefully help to save their planet. "It's nice to meet you."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t hesitate to hit the kudos button and leave me a review!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for all of the kudos and kind comments!  I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!  💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve's legs were aching, his eyes stinging with the sweat pouring in rivulets off his forehead as he rounded the corner towards the barracks at breakneck speed. The still-rising sun was directly in his eyes, and he squinted as he lowered his head and pumped his arms, trying as hard as he could to stay ahead of all of the disturbing thoughts that had been chasing him ever since his rather tense discussion with Colonel Phillips the previous evening.</p><p>"<em>Would you have still volunteered for the procedure if I had?" </em>Phillips had asked, referring to Howard Stark's involvement in Project Rebirth. Steve had managed to dodge the question, at least semi-successfully, because at the time he honestly couldn't decide on how to answer it.</p><p>Or at least not an answer that didn't sound childish or petulant, and the last thing that Steve wanted was to appear childish or petulant in front of Colonel Phillips. Not when there was a very high chance for him to become one of the first Langarans to ever fly in space.</p><p>Phillips had informed Steve's team during their patrol briefing the day before that once it was determined that each of them had demonstrated the appropriate proficiency with the normal flight operations of the X-302s, they would then begin special simulator programs to prepare for a possible extra-atmospheric launch, which was apparently fancy science-code speak for space travel.</p><p>They were also informed that it would be none other than Anthony Stark who would be overseeing those simulator sessions, which meant that Steve had to decide now whether or not he was going to try and pretend that Anthony didn't exist, or give into his growing curiosity and make an honest attempt to get to know him. He couldn't help but have noticed that as self-conscious and awkward as he'd been when they ran into each other the previous day, Anthony seemed to have been just as flustered.</p><p>He definitely hadn't missed the way Anthony's eyes had looked him up and down, lingering just a second or so too long on his lips. Steve may have been a stranger to intimate relationships, but ever since his serum procedure he had most certainly experienced his fair share of getting checked out.</p><p>Or eye-fucked, as Bucky so cleverly liked to say, something that Steve had witnessed between him and Sam more times that he cared to recall. Those two were definitely crazy about each other, as were Carol and her boyfriend, from what Steve had seen.</p><p><em>And yet, being in a relationship hasn't hurt their flight performances any,</em> whispered the traitorous little voice from the back of Steve's mind. <em>Maybe because they feel like they have something worth fighting for?</em></p><p>"Okay, that's enough," Steve muttered as he raced towards the flagpole on the far side of his course, knocking it with his palm as he ran by. Bucky had once held many of the same fears as Steve, something he had confessed to Steve back when he realised he was starting to fall for Sam. Bucky had always enjoyed going out on dates, even when they were kids, but it hadn't been until Sam came along that he'd felt like he could actually see himself sharing his whole life with someone.</p><p>And despite Bucky's concern that falling in love would somehow make him less of a pilot, it hadn't at all turned out to be the case. If anything, it had made both Bucky and Sam even better.</p><p><em>But I'm not them, </em>Steve thought stubbornly. <em>And neither of them had to grow up without one of their parents, so for them it's different.</em></p><p><em>But is it really? </em>the little voice whispered. <em>Or are you just too scared to try and find out?</em></p><p>
  <em>I'm not scared!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yeah. Sure.</em>
</p><p>Scowling, Steve lowered his head and kicked it up another notch, his lungs burning as he sucked in a huge gulp of the cool morning air. How is it that he could pull out of a 4G ninety degree dive with only zero point two-five seconds to spare and not even break a sweat, but the mere thought of asking someone that he liked out on a date was enough to make him jittery?</p><p>"On your left!" Steve snapped as he passed a group of cadets out for their morning jog, led by their squadron commander. Sam, his usual running buddy, had bugged out on him three laps ago after Steve refused to slow down to a more human-friendly pace. After getting a less-than-helpful response to his inquiry as to what was wrong, Sam had informed Steve that he didn't particularly feel like barfing up his lungs that morning and would see him at their pre-flight briefing.</p><p>And while Steve felt kinda bad that he had chased Sam away, he still couldn't bring himself to slow down. Running had always helped to clear Steve's head, and at the moment he could use all the help he could get. Especially since the phone call he had made to his ma after leaving Phillips's office had only managed to muddy the waters even more.</p><p>Like most of the Langaran Air Corps widows, Sarah Rogers had been well-aware of the risks that went along with being married to a pilot, and especially one that flew experimental aircraft. But losing her husband when she was eight months pregnant had been devastating nonetheless, and she had always told Steve that she had specifically chosen to not fall in love again because she was certain that she wouldn't be able to withstand another loss like that.</p><p>Not that she would've had the time to date anyone anyway. As the only source of income for their family, Sarah was forced to practically work herself to the bone in order to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table, not to mention paying for the medicines that Steve constantly needed in order to keep breathing. During the winters it often got to the point where Sarah went days without even coming home, choosing instead to just sleep at the hospital for a few hours in between her shifts while leaving Steve in the care of Bucky's family, whose father was also an Air Corps pilot and whose mother didn't have to work.</p><p>It was something that had always gnawed at Steve even as a young child, why his ma always had to work so hard when Bucky's ma could stay at home, but out of politeness and respect for Sarah he had never asked her about it. Sarah Rogers was a very proud woman and had a temper that she wasn't afraid to use, and Steve had never felt it necessary to risk asking her something that might trigger it when the answer wouldn't help anyway.</p><p>It was those very same reasons that had prevented Steve from ever asking Sarah anything specific about Howard Stark, not wanting to dredge up more painful memories. But after his rather earth-shattering conversation with Colonel Phillips, Steve had felt that he could no longer just keep sweeping his unpleasant questions under the rug. It was long past the time for him to get some decent answers.</p><p>Unfortunately, most of the answers he'd ended up getting had only led into more questions, and with how exhausted Sarah had sounded on the phone Steve hadn't wanted to press her too much. Her arthritic pain had been bothering her a lot more than she'd wanted to admit, but being the proud, fiery lady that she was, Steve was loath to push her to get more help out of fear of alienating her. The last thing he needed in his suddenly upside-down life was for his ma to be angry with him.</p><p>So instead, after he'd thanked her and hung up the phone, Steve had just laid there on his bunk in the dark with his hands clasped beneath his head and his mind swirling with ideas, things, and people that he'd had no idea even existed a week or so ago.</p><p>Like Anthony and Peter Stark. No matter how hard Steve tried, he could not seem to purge either of them from his mind. Peter because he was the sweetest kid that Steve had ever seen in his life, and Anthony—well, aside from being exquisitely attractive, if how much Peter missed him was any indication, Steve couldn't imagine that Anthony could be anything less than amazing.</p><p>And not at all what he would've expected from the son of Howard Stark, the infamous Langaran traitor.</p><p>"On your left!" Steve called as he passed the cadets yet again, their awed murmurs spurring him on as he continued his punishing pace. Normally he would've been already done and headed for the showers, but he had built just enough of a buffer into his plan for that morning for one more lap.</p><p>Sweat was pouring off his body by the time Steve jogged to a stop outside the barracks door, his arms and legs so overloaded with lactic acid that he could barely feel them. He walked in a wide circle for a couple more minutes, occasionally stretching his quads and hamstrings and shaking his arms loose as he sucked in huge gulps of air, trying to re-oxygenate his overworked muscles. He did not want to tighten up suddenly during his flight later that morning.</p><p>"Okay, so... dare I ask how your run went this morning?" Sam asked, pausing mid-chew as Steve sat down with his loaded breakfast tray.</p><p>"It went fine," Steve answered, proceeding to fold an entire piece of bacon into his mouth. "Just did a couple extra laps is all."</p><p>"Yeah, a couple," Sam said as he elbowed Bucky in the arm. "More like a couple at MACH-2. Gods, Steve, I'm pretty sure even some of our old aircraft couldn't've kept up with you this morning, much less one of us mere mortals."</p><p>"Yeah, well, I needed to—"</p><p>"Clear your head, right?" Bucky finished. His eyebrows knitted together as he eyed Steve over his bottle of superwater. "You've been trying to do that a lot lately, Stevie, but from what we've seen none of what you're doing actually seems to be doing you any good."</p><p>"And neither does calling me Stevie," Steve snapped. Bucky's eyes immediately went wide, causing Steve to raise his hands in apology. "I'm sorry, Buck. I didn't mean it like that."</p><p>"Sure ya didn't," Bucky said, rolling his eyes when Sam shot him a warning look. "Look, we're just a bit concerned is all. We've never seen you like this, and we've gotta admit that it's kinda throwing us off."</p><p>Steve sighed, his gaze firmly on the full platter of eggs and bacon in front of him. "I'm fine, guys, really. No need to worry."</p><p>"Ah huh. If you say so," Sam said, raising a suspicious eyebrow. He popped a piece of sausage into his mouth and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I bet you're more than ready to get your ass into the seat of that X-302 this morning though, hmm?"</p><p>Instinctively, Steve grinned. "You're damn right I am. Gotta get 'em broken in, right?"</p><p>"Yep. Gotta show 'em who's boss," said Bucky. He gulped down the last of his superwater, swiping his wrist across his mouth. "How much do you wanna bet that it'll be the best thing you've ever flown?"</p><p>"Mmm, no bet," Steve said through a mouthful of eggs. Pretty much any new aircraft turned out to be the best thing he'd ever flown so… "And besides, I'm pretty sure that you're still about a hundred or so short on your tab, so—"</p><p>"Oh really? Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Sam asked as he turned to his boyfriend. "Is that why I've been stuck paying for everything lately?"</p><p>Bucky's blue eyes gleamed mischievously. "Aw, now c'mon honey, you always say that your money is our money and my money is our money, so—"</p><p>"Okay, then if that's the case where does all of 'our' money go, hmm?" asked Sam. "'Cause I sure as hell don't see most of it. In fact—"</p><p>"All right, all right," Steve cut in. Witnessing yet another lovers' spat at the breakfast table was not part of his plan for that morning, no matter how tongue-in-cheek it might be. "Why don't we just try and focus on what we'll be doing later, hmm?"</p><p>"Oh, sure," Bucky said with a smirk. "Whatever you say, <em>Captain."</em></p><p>Thankfully Sam took the hint, changing the topic to the upcoming baseball series between the two most winning teams in the country. Having grown up adoring pretty much anything that had to do with baseball, Steve threw himself into the conversation with abandon, grateful to get his mind off of the Stark family for at least a few minutes.</p><p>Unfortunately, Steve had no sooner taken his seat next to Carol inside the briefing room when Colonel Phillips stepped through the door with Anthony Stark in tow, a stack of papers clutched in his arms. Without thinking Steve shot to his feet and immediately straightened his shoulders, hoping against hope that the blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks wasn't as obvious as he feared.</p><p>Somehow, as if he were deliberately trying to taunt him, Anthony was looking even more handsome than Steve had remembered. He was still dressed in the cadets' uniform of a plain black t-shirt and army green pants, which Steve had noticed him wearing the day before when he'd knocked him over in the hallway, and while the colours weren't usually the most flattering, somehow Anthony managed to make them look absolutely spectacular.</p><p>He also seemed to be a bit more relaxed, with his eyes brighter behind his glasses and his shoulders less stiff, like something heavy had been lifted from them.</p><p><em>Maybe he finally got to see Peter last night, </em>Steve thought, surprised at the sharp flare of jealousy that shot through him. He had no business being envious of a busy father who finally got the opportunity to visit his sick child.</p><p>"As you were," Phillips announced with a rather impatient wave of his hand. As soon as everyone was seated again he stepped forward, his hands clasped together in front of him as he scanned across the assembled group of pilots.</p><p>"Ladies and gentlemen," Phillips began. "So as not to venture too much into what you might call hyperbole, I am <em>not</em> going to tell you that this flight you're about to undertake could quite possibly be the most important flight that you ever take in your entire lives. I am also <em>not</em> going to tell you that this is not the time to try anything that I might consider out of the ordinary for a normal patrol, because all of you should be damn well smart enough to already know that. In addition, I should <em>not </em>have to remind you that flying these aircraft is a privilege, one that I am both reluctant to grant and quick to remove. And, last but not least, I should also <em>not </em>have to tell you that I'm not at all in the mood to remove that privilege from any of you today. Now, do I make myself perfectly clear?"</p><p>"Sir, yes sir!" replied the six pilots, all in perfect unison.</p><p>Phillips gave a single nod, jerking his head in Anthony's direction. "Good. Now, you will all turn your complete attention to Mr Stark while he runs through a few final details. Mr Stark?"</p><p>"Thanks, Colonel," Anthony said as soon as Phillips stepped back. He handed his stack of papers to Carol to pass down, awkwardly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as his eyes flicked over to Steve. "I've prepared some final notes on the operations of the X-302, just a few more things that I thought might be of some interest. Nothing in there will affect any of your patrol this morning, but—"</p><p>"Does this information discuss anything regarding the possible extra-atmospheric travel?" Steve blurted out, his heart skittering when Anthony's wide brown eyes locked with his. "I mean, I'm not trying to pressure you or anything—I'm just—I'm just really curious, and—"</p><p>"Well, I don't think being curious is a crime, Captain Rogers," Anthony said, and Steve could've sworn that he saw a hint of a smirk playing on Anthony's full lips. "But since we're still quite a ways away from dealing with anything out in space, I'm afraid not. This information only covers normal flight operations and is designed as an addendum to the flight materials that you've already received."</p><p>"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, hmm, Captain Rogers?" added Phillips. "Who knows, you might get up there today and decide that you don't even like how the X-302 flies."</p><p>"Oh, I doubt that, sir," Steve replied, his eyes still fixed on Anthony. "Somehow I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it even more than I expected."</p><p>A pause followed, just for a heartbeat or so, but still long enough for Carol to shoot Steve a very confused side-eye.</p><p>"You kinda sound like you're trying to start courting her when you haven't even been properly introduced yet, Rogers," she said. "And I would've thought you would've known by now that that is no way to treat a lady."</p><p>"Nah, Danvers, Stevie knows that," piped up Bucky from his seat behind Steve. "It's just been so long since he's tried to court anyone that he doesn't remember how."</p><p>"All right, enough about your private lives already," barked Phillips. "If no one has any further questions about the actual aircraft that you're about to fly, then you're dismissed. Wheels up in twenty."</p><p>To a chorus of "yes, sir!" accompanied by the hair-raising sound of scraping chairs, the pilots all shuffled out of the room, with Bucky yanking on Steve's arm almost before he had managed to clear the threshold.</p><p>"What the hell was all that about?" he hissed as they made their way towards the hangar. "If I didn't know any better I could've sworn that you we're trying to flirt, but—"</p><p>"No, I wasn't—" Steve started.</p><p>"—then again, it's you, and you never flirt," Bucky said, as if he hadn't even heard Steve. "And boy could I tell, 'cause <em>damn</em>, Stevie, you are really way out of practise! I mean, that was like a primary school-level attempt back there, and from a guy like you—"</p><p>"I wasn't flirting, Buck," Steve whispered sharply. "I only asked a simple question, and—"</p><p>Bucky cut him off with one of his <em>yeah, sure</em> looks. "Ah huh. So, what made you change your mind about Stark? Just the fact that he's hot?"</p><p>Steve shook his head, wishing very badly that he could hit a rewind button or something. "I told you, I wasn't—wait… you think Stark is hot?"</p><p>"Well, unless you're about to tell me that you were just eye-fucking Phillips then I'm guessing that you think Stark is hot!" Bucky said with a laugh. "And if I'm wrong and you really were eye-fucking Phillips, then I don't think I wanna know, so—"</p><p>"Oh gods, Bucky, no!" Steve said with a shudder. "But—"</p><p>"But you are right, Stark is damn hot. And he seems to know what he's talking about too, which is good since he's a civvy and all," continued Bucky. He tugged on Steve's arm as they stepped into the hangar, pulling him off to the side. "But Steve, he is a Stark, right? I mean, you haven't forgotten what that means, have you?"</p><p>A stab of pain pierced Steve's heart. All those nights that he spent listening to his mother sobbing into her pillow, cursing the name of Howard Stark.</p><p>Growing up without a father because of Howard Stark.</p><p>How could he ever forget something like that?</p><p><em>But what if it wasn't because of him? </em>his little voice whispered. <em>What if it was just another Langaran tragedy and people needed someone to blame?</em></p><p>
  <em>And what if it had been even worse for Anthony?</em>
</p><p>"No, I haven't forgotten," Steve said quietly.</p><p>"Okay, then I guess I'm just a bit confused," said Bucky. "Because—"</p><p>"But is it really okay to punish a son for his father's mistakes?" Steve asked. "I mean, Anthony was only a little kid when my papa was killed so it's not like he was even involved, and yet he's still had to suffer for it."</p><p>"He has? How?" Bucky asked, confused. "Seems to me he's got a pretty cushy job for a civvy. I bet there's a ton of people out there who would kill to have a job like his."</p><p>Steve huffed, biting back his sharp retort just before it could leave his lips. It wasn't helping that up until about a week ago he had thought the very same thing, and the shame of it was almost overwhelming.</p><p>"There's a lot going on that you don't know about, Buck," Steve finally said.</p><p>Bucky narrowed his eyes. "Oh, and you do? What the hell, Steve, have you been checking up on this guy or something?"</p><p>"No, not exactly, but—"</p><p>"Well, before you go diving in headfirst you just think about how your ma might react once she finds out you're lusting after a Stark, okay?" Bucky said, not without a hint of snark. "The guy may be good-looking but he's got enough baggage for a trip to the moon and back, so… maybe that'll be enough to help you think twice about it."</p><p>"Barnes! Rogers! Is there some sort of problem that I'm not aware of?" Phillips suddenly yelled from across the hangar. Steve's heart gave a flip as he saw Anthony standing next to him, attempting to look anywhere besides directly at Steve.</p><p>"No sir!" Steve and Bucky said simultaneously.</p><p>"Then I highly suggest that you get your asses plunked down into your aircraft! Now!"</p><p>"Yes sir!" Steve answered, shooting Bucky one final look before making a beeline for his aircraft. He climbed up the ladder, settling inside the cockpit as one of the groundsmen handed him his helmet, blue with a white star painted on each side.</p><p>"Well, hello there," Steve murmured as he ran his palm along the smooth dash and the shiny, never-before-touched controls. The cockpit even had that 'new aircraft smell' that no one aside from test pilots could ever understand.</p><p>"X-302 pilots, this is Colonel Phillips," Phillips's gruffy voice said through the comms. "Comm check."</p><p>"Wilson here," said Sam from somewhere behind Steve.</p><p>"Barnes here."</p><p>"Rogers here," replied Steve as he clicked his safety belts into place.</p><p>"Lorne here."</p><p>"Danvers here."</p><p>"Mitchell here."</p><p>"All right A-shift, you have a go. Don't enjoy yourselves too much."</p><p>"All right, sweetheart," Steve said as he slowly eased the throttle forward. "Let's see what you got."</p><p>Since the aircraft were arranged in three groups of two Steve and Carol were the first to roll out onto the runway. As soon as they had both cleared the hangar Steve eased back, allowing Carol to go in front of him.</p><p>"Ladies first, Danvers," he said. "Have at it."</p><p>"Wow, Rogers, you really are in a courtly mood this morning," Carol said with a laugh. "What the hell is up with you?"</p><p>"At the moment nothing besides getting this baby up in the air," Steve answered. "So if you don't mind, I'd like to—"</p><p>He was cut off by an almost bone-shattering <em>boom! </em>as the twin engines on Carol's aircraft suddenly flashed orange and she took off down the runway, lifting off about five seconds later. Steve's heart thudded as he watched her clear the first guard tower and go into an immediate series of tight barrel rolls.</p><p>"Looking good, Danvers!" called Lorne. "She handles pretty well, hmm?"</p><p>"Oh yeah, she's definitely a hot one!" Carol yelled over the comm. "So why don't you boys get your asses up here and see for yourselves!"</p><p>"I'm on my way!" Steve said as he shoved the throttle forward as far as it could go, bracing himself as the aircraft sped down the runway and a wide smile stretched across his face. There was nothing quite like the feel of that very first flight.</p><p>"Woohoo!" Steve yelped as he lifted off, the usual bumpy lurch as the aircraft's wheels left the runway barely noticeable in his excitement. "Oh man, and I thought that the X-301s were smooth! This thing is incredible!"</p><p>Following Carol's lead, Steve launched into a series of barrel rolls and short dives, acclimatising to the stick's sensitivity as the aircraft manoeuvred through the air as though it weighed practically nothing. As soon as he felt comfortable with the stick he gritted his teeth and aimed the aircraft forward, directly towards the DMZ line that marked the border of Langaran airspace.</p><p>"All right, let's see what you bastards got," he murmured as he raced towards the invisible but deadly line of demarcation, his hands gripping the throttle and stick as he counted down in his head.</p><p>
  <em>Five, four, three, two, one!</em>
</p><p>A split second later Steve yanked back on the throttle and shoved the stick to the left, skimming so closely along the DMZ line that he could've sworn that he saw his Meridian mirror pilot's eyes go wide.</p><p>"Aw, yeah!" Steve yelled triumphantly, his heart slowly creeping back down from where it had jammed in his throat. "Take that you sons of bitches!"</p><p>"Woohoo, Stevie!" cried Bucky as he came up on Steve's six. "This thing is fucking awesome!"</p><p>"All right people, just don't let it slip your minds while you're up there playing that you actually have a patrol to conduct," said Phillips over the comm. "See ya back at the barn."</p><p>Not surprisingly, the entire six-hour patrol shift seemed to go by in only a matter of minutes, such that Steve was actually disappointed when it was over. The X-302 had handled like an absolute dream, the smoothest aircraft he had ever flown, and he already couldn't wait to take her up again.</p><p>Apparently Anthony Stark knew a thing or two about designing aircraft.</p><p>Steve's flight suit was plastered to his body with sweat as he pulled the aircraft to a stop and opened the canopy, handing the groundsman his helmet before jumping down. His legs wobbled a bit as he landed, not too surprising since he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, but also because Anthony Stark was still standing on the observation deck next to Phillips and staring directly at Steve.</p><p>In fact, Steve was almost certain that he saw Anthony lick his lips right before he turned away, sending a shock of heat across Steve's chest. Had he been standing up there all that time just waiting for him to return?</p><p>"I want to see your initial reports on my desk before tomorrow's briefing!" Phillips yelled over the loudspeaker. "Dismissed!"</p><p>"Hey, Steve!" Sam said as he and Bucky jogged over to Steve, sweat dripping down both their faces. "A bunch of us are heading out to the ball field for a while, you wanna come?"</p><p>"Oh, um, I've actually got plans already," Steve said. "But I should be able to—"</p><p>"What, another drive?" asked Bucky. "C'mon, Steve! We're all in an awesome mood and it's gorgeous outside! What better time to play some ball!"</p><p>"Yeah, I know, but I've already got somewhere else to be," Steve said. He bit down hard on his lip, his fingers tapping impatiently on his leg. He was in a good mood, and very eager to get to the hospital to see Peter since he hadn't been able to see him the day before. "Maybe tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, it's always tomorrow lately, isn't it," grumbled Bucky. "One of these days I'm gonna hold you to it."</p><p>"Yeah, just like one of these days you're actually gonna pay up, right, Buck?" Steve retorted. "I'll see you guys later."</p><p>Barely fifteen minutes later Steve was on his motorcycle and racing towards the hospital. But he had no sooner set foot on the paediatric floor when he suddenly stopped short. So much had changed since his last visit that he couldn't believe it had only been a couple of days, and he needed to make sure that he didn't reveal anything inappropriate to Peter.</p><p><em>I can't let him know what I know, </em>Steve thought as he slowly made his way towards Peter's room. There was no sense in stressing an already sick child even more by admitting that he'd discovered that his grandfather was the national pihrah.</p><p>
  <em>And especially if it's not even justified.</em>
</p><p>Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind Steve flinched, gritting his teeth. Fighting against almost twenty-eight years of believing that he hated anything to do with the Stark family was not easy, and even less so after the conversation that he'd had with his mother the previous night.</p><p>But, as Steve was discovering, things apparently weren't as black and white as he had always thought.</p><p>
  <em>Or been led to believe.</em>
</p><p>The fact that he felt like he was already falling for Anthony only muddied the waters even more.</p><p>"Steve!" Peter exclaimed as soon as Steve stepped inside. "I'm so glad you're here!"</p><p>"Hey, little guy," Steve said, his heart skittering as he carefully patted Peter on the shoulder. Steve hadn't seen Sharon at the nurses' station and so wasn't able to ask her how Peter was doing, and while Steve was certainly no medical expert it sure seemed to him that Peter's condition was still deteriorating despite being in the hospital. His normally pale skin was even paler than usual, and he seemed to be wasting away, his shoulders and arms nothing but skin and bones.</p><p>Steve also couldn't help but notice that in addition to having the same eye and hair colour as Anthony, Peter's hands were also the same, with beautifully long fingers.</p><p><em>Artist's hands</em>, Steve thought. <em>Makes sense since they're both creators.</em></p><p>"So, how're you feeling?" Steve asked as he pulled the chair over to Peter's bed. It really was the most uncomfortable thing that he'd ever sat in, and a small part of him wondered if that was the case in all of the childrens' rooms or if it was just yet another way to discriminate against Peter's family.</p><p>"Eh, I'm doing okay," Peter said as he rubbed at his nose. "I finished my drawing of Mrs Bird and her chicks yesterday, do you wanna see it?"</p><p>"Absolutely," Steve said eagerly, smiling as Peter flipped through his notebook. Peter didn't seem to want to talk much about himself or Steve's work, which suited Steve just fine. All the easier to keep his swirling thoughts contained.</p><p>"Wow! That's incredible!" he exclaimed as Peter proudly showed him his completed drawing, which was so richly detailed that it appeared almost lifelike. "You have such a natural talent!"</p><p>"Thanks," said Peter. "Did you get to finish yours yet?"</p><p>"Just about," said Steve as he pulled his sketchbook from his jacket pocket. "But I'm afraid mine's not nearly as detailed as yours."</p><p>"Oh, that's okay, I probably had more time to work on mine anyway," Peter said. "You can finish it now if you want."</p><p>"You know what? I think I will." Steve shot Peter a wink as he readied his pencil, grinning when Peter leaned over to watch. He had never enjoyed it when people watched him while he drew, but with Peter he found that he didn't mind at all.</p><p>
  <em>It's almost as though—</em>
</p><p>Steve shook his head, halting the thought before it could fly away from him. He didn't need to be going down that road now, not while Peter was literally right in front of him.</p><p>Besides, Peter already had a father, and one that he obviously loved very much. And he really barely knew Steve.</p><p>With another hard shake of his head, Steve slotted his discombobulating thoughts into their respective compartments and threw himself into the discussion regarding Mrs Bird and her three chicks. Once again, he barely noticed the passage of time, only glancing up at the clock by chance when he noticed that it was nearly dinnertime.</p><p>"I'm sorry, little guy, but I'm going to have to get going now," he said. "Is it all right if I come back in a couple of days?"</p><p>"Oh," Peter said as his shoulders sagged. "Well, yeah, but does that mean you can't come tomorrow?"</p><p>A knot rose in Steve's throat at the question, and the way Peter had asked it. The entire drive over to the hospital Steve had been trying to convince himself that he should back off a bit on the visits, especially since he felt bad for constantly lying to his teammates about his whereabouts. But all of those efforts had flown out the window almost the moment he entered the room and saw Peter's face.</p><p>Steve had just become too attached to Peter to try and distance himself from him now. And, if he was reading the flight patterns correctly, it seemed as though Peter had grown pretty attached to him as well.</p><p>"I will try, okay?" he finally said. "I honestly can't promise that I'll be able to get away tomorrow, but I definitely will the day after. All right?"</p><p>Peter's huge brown eyes were glassy as he let out a very junky cough. "Uh huh. But… um… do you think you could do me a quick favour before you go?"</p><p>"Sure, little guy. What is it?"</p><p>Peter bit his lip, his eyes flicking towards a door about six feet away from his bed. "Um… well… I gotta go pee, and since Ms Sharon is off today I don't really feel like calling the nurse to help me get up, so… do you think you could—?"</p><p>He broke off, his pale cheeks flushing pink as Steve's heart nearly broke in two. Being eleven was awkward enough without being so sick that you couldn't even use the bathroom on your own.</p><p>And Steve would know.</p><p>"You need me to help you use the bathroom?" he asked. "Is that it?"</p><p>"No, I can do that by myself," Peter said quickly. "It's at least one thing I can still do by myself. I just need a little help standing up since I get lightheaded really easily." He held out his hand towards Steve, who took it carefully, as if it were made of porcelain. "Is that okay?"</p><p>"Of course it is, Peter," Steve said softly. "Just tell me what you need me to do."</p><p>"Just stay just like that," Peter said as he slowly swung his legs over the side of his bed, taking care not to get tangled up in the numerous wires and tubes attached to his skinny body. His notebook and most of his bedding hit the floor as he inched closer to the edge, pausing once he was there to suck in a deep breath, the all-too familiar sound of rattling lungs nearly making Steve's skin crawl.</p><p>"Okay, I think I'm good now," Peter said a few heartbeats later. Then he planted his palm on Steve's shoulder and slowly hefted himself up, pausing again for a few seconds once he was standing.</p><p>"I fell one time when I tried to get up by myself," he said as he grabbed onto the rolling metal tree holding his intravenous drips and external oxygen. "Ended up pulling out one of my IVs, which was totally awful, so now they told me that I'm not allowed to get up by myself anymore."</p><p>"And they're right to say that," Steve said, his voice quivering. "I'm sure no one wants to see you get hurt."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure." Peter smiled as he sucked in another deep breath. "I'll be back in a minute."</p><p>Steve sat as still as a rock as Peter began shuffling towards the bathroom, only exhaling once he was safely inside. Then he dropped his glassy eyes to the floor, searching through the tangle of blankets until he located the fallen notebook. He picked it up, intending to place it back on the bed when he noticed a page covered in the same odd gibberish that he had caught a glimpse of on one of his earlier visits, only this time complete with a title written across the top in large block letters.</p><p>A title that read, <em>PROJECT PHOENIX.</em></p><p>"<em>I'm helping my dad with one of his side projects," </em>Peter had told him during their very first visit. "<em>But it hasn't been approved yet."</em></p><p>It hadn't taken long for Steve to realise that Peter was smart, especially since he had mentioned to Steve that for the past year he had been too sick to go to school, something he didn't seem to mind all that much. Aside from missing his friends, Peter had said that his classes had only bored him, and that he was learning far more from his father and grandfather than he ever did in school.</p><p>It was yet another thing that Steve could empathise with. Possessing an eidetic memory had made it very easy for Steve to do well in school since he only had to read something once for it to become locked in his mind. It had also helped him greatly during his time with the Air Corps, allowing him to memorise flight manuals and briefing reports after only a single read-through.</p><p>But if Peter at only eleven years old was assisting Anthony with a project that he had designed for the Air Corps, now <em>that</em> was on a level of intelligence that Steve had never before seen, and was very, very impressive.</p><p>And most likely also very, very illegal.</p><p>Once again Steve's mind began to swirl like a cyclone, wondering why in the <em>world</em> Anthony Stark would risk entrusting his young child with something that if discovered, would surely get him either fired or arrested. Or both.</p><p>It made absolutely no sense, especially given Peter's already precarious health.</p><p>Unless…</p><p><em>Project Phoenix, </em>Steve thought. <em>A phoenix is a mythical bird that's reborn from its own ashes, symbolising renewal.</em></p><p>
  <em>But what could it be referring to?</em>
</p><p>As soon as the question left his mind another thought slammed into place, hitting Steve with such strong force that he gasped.</p><p>Langara had been under martial law for twenty-eight years, ever since the Battle of the Continents. Twenty-eight years of rule by a military government so hell-bent on ensuring that Langara never fell victim to such an awful sneak attack ever again that they spent over ninety percent of the country's economy on maintaining their military hardware and training.</p><p>Twenty-eight years of complete control over the country's news outlets, television programming, and literature.</p><p>Twenty-eight years of rationing everything from electricity to certain foods to coffee in order to funnel as much as possible into the military, and subsequently treating civilians as second-class citizens.</p><p>And, it would appear, twenty-eight years of rationing lifesaving medical care to those civilians. Especially civilians with the last name of Stark.</p><p>Steve had only known Peter for a matter of days, and already felt almost more protective of him than he did of his own ma. He couldn't imagine how much worse it must be for Anthony.</p><p>
  <em>A good father would do whatever it took to save his child. Even if it meant breaking the law.</em>
</p><p>And Steve had no doubt that if he were in Anthony's shoes, he wouldn't hesitate to do the very same thing. Keeping the information with Peter, a child who had been kept out of school already for over a year, also gave Anthony the perfect plausible deniability excuse in the event that it was somehow discovered. Since intelligence exams weren't administered to Langaran children until they were thirteen years of age, the only people who would likely know the true depth of Peter’s intelligence were his father and grandfather.</p><p>The sound of a running faucet pulled Steve from his thoughts, and he quickly set the notebook back down on Peter's bed, arranging the blankets to cover the page he likely wasn't meant to see.</p><p>"Steve?" Peter asked as soon as he emerged from the bathroom, his small, fragile steps chipping away at Steve's heart like an ice pick. "Are you okay? You look kinda funny."</p><p>"Sure, little guy, I'm fine," Steve said quickly, attempting a smile when Peter raised an eyebrow. "I'm really glad I was able to see you today."</p><p>"Oh yeah, me too!" Peter said with a grin. "And my dad's gonna be by later today too, so it's been a great day for me."</p><p>Steve's blood pressure plummeted like a rock. "Uh, your dad's coming today? He wasn't here yesterday?"</p><p>Peter shook his head as he grabbed onto Steve's shoulder, sliding slowly onto the bed. "No, he wasn't able to get away yesterday. But when he called me he said that his boss told him he'd make sure to get him out in time tonight."</p><p>"Oh, that's wonderful, Peter," Steve forced past the rock in his throat. "Um… but I still have to get going, okay?"</p><p>"But you'll still try to come back tomorrow, right?" asked Peter. "Please?"</p><p>"If not tomorrow then definitely the next day," Steve said as he arranged Peter's blankets. "I promise."</p><p>"Uh huh." Peter crossed his arms, sticking out his bottom lip in such a perfect pout that Steve almost laughed. "It's too bad you can't meet my dad, I think he'd really like you."</p><p>"You do?" Steve exclaimed, wincing when Peter's eyes went wide. "I mean, you do?"</p><p>"Oh yeah," Peter said. "My dad always says that I'm a really good judge of people. Well… except for my grandpa, I guess. But… I haven't told him that you've been coming to visit me 'cause I didn't wanna upset him. He already feels so bad that he can't get here more often, so—"</p><p>"And that's just fine, little guy," Steve said, breathing a quick sigh of relief. He wasn't quite ready for Anthony to connect the dots just yet. "As long as you don't think he'd be more upset to find out later? I don't want to get you into any trouble." <em>Or hurt any possible chances I might have to get to know Anthony.</em></p><p>"Well, that'll kinda depend on what he thinks of you when you do finally meet him," answered Peter. "But like I said, he usually trusts my judgement, so I think it'll be fine."</p><p>"Well, I hope you're right." Steve got to his feet and placed his hand on Peter's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You try to get some good rest tonight, okay?"</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes, bobbing his head. "Uh huh. Thanks for coming."</p><p>"I'll see you soon."</p><p>As soon as he was in the hallway Steve checked his timepiece, alarmed when he saw that it was already 1745 hours. Practically sprinting down to the parking lot, he had just slid on his sunglasses and swung his leg over the seat of his motorcycle when he heard the sound of an approaching car. He hunched his shoulders, watching from the corner of his eye as the old car squealed to a stop only a few spaces away, and Anthony Stark proceeded to run into the hospital as if his very life depended on it.</p><p>Which, Steve realised, it likely did. As much as Steve couldn't imagine how horrible it would be to lose a spouse, he figured it had to be even worse to face the prospect of losing your child.</p><p>And even more so if it was preventable.</p><p>Steve felt his jaw tighten and his hands clench into fists. He may not be as smart as either Anthony or Peter Stark, but he did have access to some information and databases that he may be able to use to help them as long as they allowed it. He would have to tread very carefully, for his own sake as well as for Anthony and Peter's. Steve was well-liked by both his immediate superiors in the Air Corps and the government leaders, but he also knew that any regard the government held him in was conditional upon his complete obedience and could be withdrawn at only the slightest provocation.</p><p>Regardless, he still needed to try.</p><p><em>Project Phoenix, </em>Steve thought as he started his bike. <em>Looks like I've got some homework to do.</em></p><hr/><p>"Hey, buddy!" Tony exclaimed as he swept into Peter's room, the harsh scent of oxygen and sterile gauze mixed with strong disinfectant assaulting his senses. He skidded to a halt next to Peter's bed and immediately pulled him into a hug, burying his nose into Peter's curly hair.</p><p>"Oh gods, Pete, I have <em>missed </em>you!" he choked past his tight throat, holding his boy as tightly as he dared. "It's been way too long, buddy. Way too long."</p><p>"I've missed you too, Dad," Peter murmured as he wound his skinny arms around Tony's neck. Then he pulled back, his eyebrows knitting together. "But why're you dressed like a cadet? Haven't you been home?"</p><p>"Eh, don't worry about that now," Tony said dismissively as he cupped Peter's face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. "Are they treating you okay, bud?"</p><p>"Oh, you know," Peter said with a shrug, running his tongue across his dry lips. "Ms Sharon was off today, so… I just try not to bother anyone too much when she's off. It's okay."</p><p>Tony shook his head, trying like hell to keep his mounting rage in check. To discriminate against a helpless child just because his grandfather happened to be a certified asshole was so thoroughly disgusting that it should've been illegal.</p><p>"No, it's really <em>not</em>, Pete," he said. "It's not, and—"</p><p>"But I don't wanna talk about that now," Peter cut in. He pulled his notebook out from under his blankets, flipping to a page titled <em>PROJECT PHOENIX.</em> "I've finished it, Dad. It only needs to be tested now and then it'll be ready."</p><p>Blinking back tears, Tony pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and took the notebook, reading over the lines of code that Peter had been working on practically non-stop for the last three months.</p><p>It was a multi-modal program. Tony had initially planned it as an innovative means of national defence that while costly up front, would help save the government money in the long run by reducing the need for constant weapons upgrades and round-the-clock air patrols.</p><p>Redesigning the whole thing to function as a continuous source of clean energy instead of a defence system had been Peter's idea, as had expanding it to encompass the entire planet rather than only Langaran airspace. Somehow Peter was convinced that once the military leaders saw that there could truly be an end to the war that had ravaged their planet for decades, they would have no choice but to accept it.</p><p>And while Tony was by nature skeptical, and even more so when it came to anything regarding the Langaran government, Peter had always been the optimistic one. Even after he was told that he could no longer participate in gym class. Even after he was told he could no longer ride his bike or walk down the block to the corner market. Even after he had to be pulled from primary school because the doctors felt he was too sick to continue.</p><p>Even after Tony's appeal for his heart surgery was denied for the third time, Peter still held out hope. And while Tony had no idea how in the hell he did it, he knew it was also the very reason why he had to continue fighting for him. Peter had the potential to literally change the world, and there was no one—<em>no one</em>—who could convince Tony otherwise.</p><p>"Dad?" Peter said. "What do you think?"</p><p>Tony shook his head, swiping at his nose. "I think it's brilliant, Pete. Absolutely brilliant. You're a genius, there's no doubt in my mind."</p><p>"But…?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"I just—" Tony paused, huffing out a sharp breath. "I just don't know if I'll be able to convince them. I just—they're just so locked in to this never-ending cycle of one-upping the enemy, and I just—"</p><p>"But you told me that Colonel Phillips thinks that it might work," Peter said. "And Uncle James, so—"</p><p>"But neither of them are in the inner circle, buddy," Tony stated. "And you know how closely that inner circle guards itself. You get one of them in the wrong mood and they'll—"</p><p>"It'll work, Dad," Peter said firmly. "And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Grandpa thinks—"</p><p>"Grandpa!" Tony hissed, his left hand clenching into a fist. "According to the military leaders Grandpa doesn't even exist anymore, <em>and </em>he also nearly <em>killed </em>you, Pete! He doesn't get a say in any of this!"</p><p>"But he does exist!" Peter snapped. "And the sooner you start admitting that to yourself the better you'll be! And he thinks this can work! He even helped me with a bit of the code, so—"</p><p>"He, <em>what—?"</em></p><p>"Yes, he did. This is a Stark family project, Dad, so you're just gonna have to accept that."</p><p>"Mmm," Tony grumbled as he slumped into the chair. His heart was racing, and his left hand was so tightly clenched that his fingernails were digging into his skin.</p><p>
  <em>Are we ever going to be out from under the iron shadow of Howard Stark?</em>
</p><p>"All right, bud," Tony said softly. "Why don't you run through it for me, yeah?"</p><p>A wide smile stretched across Peter's round face, one that Tony couldn't help but return. He could never resist one of his son's smiles.</p><p>"Okay, so, I designed it to work with twelve satellites," Peter began. "But we really only need eight to cover the planet. I figured the other four could be backups just in case something went wrong."</p><p>"Always good to have backups, bud," said Tony.</p><p>"Uh huh. So, each satellite would have the arc reactor that you designed as its main power core—"</p><p>"The arc reactors would need to be built with vibranium instead of palladium," Tony cut in. "Otherwise we'll have to be constantly swapping them out."</p><p>"Yeah, I already know that, Dad," Peter said, rather smugly. "So, with the vibranium powering the arc reactors the satellites would pretty much be able to run forever as long as they were in standby mode most of the time, which they would be if we were only gonna use them as a weapons system. But since we're not, then we're gonna need…" He paused, turning to a page in his notebook where he had drawn a perfect rendition of the very cube that lay at the centre of all the controversy surrounding Howard Stark.</p><p>The tesseract.</p><p>Discovered by chance three miles off the Langaran coast about five years prior to the Battle of the Continents, Howard had been researching possible ways to utilise the oddly glowing cube right up until the Battle of the Continents and his subsequent arrest for treason. And ever since then, the military government had kept it locked away in some secured vault somewhere beneath the Air Corps base while their scientists attempted to come up with ways to use it to develop weapons of mass destruction.</p><p>All of which were completely theoretical, since not even General O'Brien was brave enough to actually attempt to use the thing. Not even for testing purposes.</p><p>But it was really only a matter of time before the cranky old general became desperate enough to do so, and then… well… then all bets were off as to whether anyone would survive.</p><p>"Okay, so…" Tony prompted.</p><p>"So, if we could take the tesseract and put it into some kind of vibranium-lined casing, and then put that into a self-contained computer that was also powered by one of the arc reactors, then it would be able to send out a continuous signal to each of the sister satellites, and—"</p><p>"Thereby keeping a constant flow of energy to each satellite, which would then be channeled into the various power plants," Tony finished. He tilted his head, rereading Peter's notes in amazement.</p><p>
  <em>My kid really is the smartest person in the entire world.</em>
</p><p>"The only kicker is that we'd need to use up almost the entire supply of vibranium in order to build the casing system," Peter said. "Which would mean—"</p><p>"Which would mean no more vibranium bomb casings," said Tony. "But that's still not gonna be the limiting factor, Pete. The biggest hurdle here is—"</p><p>"Getting them to agree to let us use the tesseract," said Peter. "Yeah, I know. And that's what Grandpa said too."</p><p>Tony gritted his teeth, attempting to ignore the mention of Howard. "There's also gonna be a pretty massive political mess once Meridia finds out that we even have the thing, Pete. As far as we know, they don't even know that the tesseract exists, and—"</p><p>"Yeah, I figured that out too," Peter said. "And it'll be even worse if they find out that our government was planning on using it to build weapons of mass destruction, so—"</p><p>"They would need to negotiate a peace treaty before this even got started. Or at least a cease-fire, and—"</p><p>"And once we do that, we're committed," said Peter. "No turning back."</p><p>"Yeah. But gods, Pete, almost seventy years of ruffled feathers is gonna take a pretty long time to soothe, and—" He broke off, unable to finish his sentence.</p><p>
  <em>I don't know if you have that much time.</em>
</p><p>As usual, Peter was able to read Tony's mind. "It's not only about me, Dad, remember? This is about everyone. This is about our planet being freed from a war that's lasted for generations. It's so much bigger than me."</p><p>"But not to me." Tears spilled down Tony's cheeks before he could even attempt to stop them, the mere thought of losing Peter too much for his exhausted mind to even contemplate. He gathered Peter into his arms, breathing in the green apple scent of his hair that he'd always loved. "Not to me, buddy, you got that? I don't—I don't—"</p><p>
  <em>I don't think I could live without you.</em>
</p><p>"Why don't we just take it one step at a time, okay Dad?" Peter asked, muffled against Tony's chest. "When are you supposed to meet with Colonel Phillips again?"</p><p>Tony sniffed, kissing the top of Peter's head. "Next week, once I'm done with all of the space-flight simulator programs."</p><p>"All right, then once you've done that you can propose the first part of the plan and see what he says. And if he thinks it's a good enough idea then you can try the next part. And so on, and so on—"</p><p>"Yeah, I got it, Pete. But you know Phillips isn't the real problem, right?"</p><p>Peter sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I know. But he was pretty excited about the space-capable aircraft, wasn't he?"</p><p>"Not as excited as the pilots were." Tony's heart fluttered as his mind immediately drifted to Captain Rogers, and how damn good he had looked in his flight suit.</p><p>
  <em>It shouldn't be humanly possible to be that pretty.</em>
</p><p>"Well, maybe they can help him get excited about it." said Peter. "Since they'll be the ones actually setting up the satellite system."</p><p>"I'm pretty sure Phillips hasn't been excited about much of anything in almost thirty years," said Tony. "But yeah, I get your point." He pulled back, ruffling Peter's curly hair. "You told me over the phone that you named the channeling program, yeah?"</p><p>Peter's brown eyes were twinkling as he smiled. "Yeah, I did. I'm calling him JARVIS."</p><p>"Oh," Tony gasped as all the air whooshed from his lungs in one fell swoop. He squeezed his eyes closed, pressing his palm tightly to his chest as he tried not to give in to the tears threatening to fall. There wasn't a day that passed where Tony didn't miss Mr Jarvis so badly it was almost painful, and he knew that somehow Peter understood that, even though he'd never had the chance to meet him.</p><p>"Oh, Pete," he whispered as a single tear snaked down his cheek. "I really wish you could've met him. He would've loved you so much."</p><p>"I wish I could've too," Peter murmured. "You told me he was in the military, right? Until he got hurt?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said as he swiped at his eyes. "He always said he never got the proper chance to try and save the world, but… if anyone could've done it, it would've been him. He was… indescribable."</p><p>"Well, now he's got another chance," said Peter, pointing to his lines of code. "As long as the code is sound there's really no good reason not to do this, and then his name will be spoken with reverence around the entire world. I mean, can you think of a better way to honour him?"</p><p>Tony shook his head, almost too overwhelmed to speak.</p><p>"No, buddy," he finally said. "No, I can't."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments!  I’m so glad you guys are enjoying the story!  💖</p><p>Incredible moodboard created by @adoctoraday, thank you so much!!  💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p>Tony sighed heavily as he leaned back in his chair, waiting for his computer to finish compiling the last of the code he'd just entered. He had asked Phillips if he could continue working in his office during the X-302 patrols instead of just sitting around in the hangar, to which Phillips had agreed as long as Tony agreed to follow the comm chatter over a speaker and report any potential issues to him right away.</p><p>All of which had been easy since there hadn't been any issues with the X-302s. In fact, they were performing so well that Tony was finding it more and more difficult to keep from repeatedly pointing it out to Phillips, just in case the old grizzled colonel hadn't noticed for himself. The brand-new arc reactor power sources were functioning even better than Tony had predicted, and judging from the near-constant banter from the pilots, they were all having the time of their lives.</p><p>Tony had even heard Captain Rogers tease the pilot called Mitchell that if he loved the aircraft so much then he should marry it, a statement that immediately prompted an eyeroll from Tony and launched an entire litany of groans from the rest of the patrol, with Captain Barnes replying that "Stevie apparently needed to brush up on some of his non-military vernacular".</p><p><em>So the guy's a bit old-fashioned, </em>Tony thought as the sharp staccato sound of machine gun fire burst from the speaker. Apparently the Meridian pilots were being a bit testy today, which Major Lorne had already attributed to them being jealous of the Langarans' new toys.</p><p>
  <em>I guess being old-fashioned isn't necessarily bad, as long as you're not Howard Stark.</em>
</p><p>With a slight shudder Tony returned his attention to the screen, sitting up straighter as the code completed its compile and the words INITIATE SYSTEM appeared across the top of the screen.</p><p>"Y, E, S," Tony muttered as he typed it into the keyboard, blinking as the screen flickered three times before going completely blank.</p><p>"Good day, Mr Stark," a voice suddenly said, one that caused Tony to gasp so loudly that he flinched. "How may I be of assistance?"</p><p>It wasn't exactly the same. The pitch was just a touch lower and the timbre just slightly… off, likely due to compression by his ancient workstation, but it still sounded so much like him it was as though he'd been raised from the dead.</p><p>Somehow, without ever having heard his voice in person and relying only on Tony's descriptions, Peter had managed to program Mr Jarvis's voice so closely that Tony was instantly able to recognise it.</p><p>"Oh gods, Pete, you really did it," Tony whispered as he swiped at his eyes. "You really brought him back to life."</p><p>Sniffing, Tony began a series of test programs to ensure that no pesky bugs had managed to hitch a ride into the main matrix. Finding none, he then proceeded to create a virtual storage compartment inside his hard drive, not wanting to run the risk of JARVIS being discovered and potentially confiscated before Tony could complete the rest of the project's parameters.</p><p>Which for all intents and purposes were already complete, since Peter apparently never made any mistakes.</p><p><em>That's my boy, </em>Tony thought proudly.</p><p>The storage compartment made, Tony leaned back, raking a nervous hand through his hair. He had often wondered what he might say to Mr Jarvis if he ever got the chance to speak to him again, and now that he sort of had the chance he found himself too choked up to say anything.</p><p>Finally, after several minutes had passed and not one, but two Meridian pilots had been "scared the hell off" by some display of strength or valour or peacock feathers or whatever-the-hell else the Langaran pilots did up there while they were patrolling, Tony cleared his throat.</p><p>"Um… hey there, JARVIS," he said haltingly. "How's it going?"</p><p>"I am very well, sir, thank you," JARVIS answered. "How may I be of assistance?"</p><p>"Um… that's—that's good," Tony choked past the lump in his throat. "So… what has Pete told you about Project Phoenix?"</p><p>"Project Phoenix is a system of national defence initially developed by Anthony Edward Stark," JARVIS began. "It consists of eight specialised satellites placed in orbit above the planet's surface which are designed to activate in response to a perceived threat, most likely to originate from Langara's rival country, Meridia. Approximately six months ago Peter Edwin Stark began altering the original satellite parameters to instead function as energy channellers, utilising the artefact known as the tesseract as an unlimited power source. If successfully implemented, Project Phoenix will in theory be able to supply enough energy to end the current crisis in not only Langara, but in Meridia as well."</p><p>"And therefore bring an end to the war," said Tony.</p><p>"Quite likely, sir."</p><p>"Damn." Tony sat back as he removed his glasses, scrubbing at his eyes. "Now there's a thought, hmm?"</p><p>"Indeed it is, sir," said JARVIS.</p><p><em>Would our country even know what to do with themselves without a war? </em>thought Tony, a question he quickly answered with a resounding <em>No, </em>since aside from only maybe a handful of people, no one currently living in Langara had ever even experienced peace.</p><p>And, according to all the history books, that handful who had experienced it did so under the near-constant threat of war.</p><p>
  <em>Not exactly all that peaceful.</em>
</p><p>"Okay, so… do you think that the project could work?" Tony asked. "Odds-wise?"</p><p>"Given the parameters set forth by Master Peter, I have calculated a ninety-seven point three five percent of success," answered JARVIS. "At the moment the only limiting factors are the collection of the necessary components—"</p><p>"Like the tesseract," said Tony.</p><p>"Yes sir, as well as the proper training of the pilots who will be charged with delivering and positioning the satellites," JARVIS said. "That is the only factor which dips the odds below one hundred percent."</p><p>"Accounting for the possibility of human error, that makes sense," agreed Tony. "But what are the chances of success if we're not able to secure the tesseract?"</p><p>There was a short pause before JARVIS continued. "I am afraid, sir, that without the procurement of the tesseract, Project Phoenix as written by Master Peter will not be successful."</p><p>"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Tony muttered. "But without the tesseract would the project still be able to go forth using its original parameters?"</p><p>"As a weapons' system?" JARVIS asked. "Then yes, it would."</p><p>"Okay, and how quickly do you estimate we could be ready for launch?"</p><p>"Given the time required to construct the containment device for the tesseract and satellites and train the pilots for their extra-atmospheric activity, I'm estimating that Project Phoenix could be ready for implementation in as few as three months, give or take."</p><p>"Three months," Tony repeated softly as he pressed his palm to his chest. <em>That's too long. I don't know if Pete—</em></p><p>
  <em>Nope, not going there.</em>
</p><p>"And you think Pete can hold out that long?" Tony asked. Apparently he just couldn't help himself.</p><p>"I am afraid I am unaware of any problems with Master Peter, sir," JARVIS said, just as softly. "Is there a problem with him?"</p><p>"Yeah, there is," said Tony. Of course Peter wouldn't program his own health issues into JARVIS's matrix. He still was under the impression that his life wasn't worth any more than anyone else's, which was absolutely ridiculous. Peter was arguably the most intelligent person that Langara had ever seen, and the thought of losing someone like him before he'd even reached puberty was—well—</p><p>
  <em>Nope! I am not going there!</em>
</p><p>Tony couldn't even bear to attempt to think about it objectively because there was just no way he could lose Peter and survive. No way at all. The fact that the country would also lose one of its top minds was a very, very distant second.</p><p>"Yeah," he said again. "Yeah, um… Pete's got a heart defect. ASD with TAPVR."</p><p>"I see," said JARVIS after a short pause. "According to the top medical texts published in this country, it is quite unusual for someone of Master Peter's age to not have already undergone corrective surgery. Most children with this type of defect have it surgically repaired prior to six years of age."</p><p>"Yeah, don't I know it," Tony muttered. He was already six years old by the time his own defect was corrected, and that had been only because there wasn't a surgeon available in Langara who was trained in the correct technique until then.</p><p>"I am afraid that without a proper reference point I am unable to predict a length of time for Master Peter's survival, sir. I do apologise."</p><p>Tony waved an impatient hand. "Yeah, yeah, enough about that. What exactly did Pete design you to do?"</p><p>"My main function is to monitor the transfer of energy from the tesseract to the individual satellites, and then from the satellites to the various national power plants," JARVIS replied. "But Master Peter created me with a virtually infinite capacity for expansion, so the possibilities are theoretically limitless."</p><p>"Ah huh. And did he build any safeguards in there to prevent someone else from grabbing on to you? Such as the Meridian government?" <em>Or our government?</em></p><p>"Yes, sir," JARVIS said, and Tony could just picture the quizzical, raised-eyebrow look that Mr Jarvis used to give him whenever he had asked him something less than brilliant.</p><p>"Of course he did, that was stupid," Tony said. "Who has the authorisation to alter your programming?"</p><p>"Only Peter Stark, Anthony Stark, and Howard Stark have been given permission to alter my matrix at this time, sir," answered JARVIS.</p><p>"Oh good freaking grief, Pete," grumbled Tony. "You just had to let Howard in there too, hmm?"</p><p>Not that he should've expected otherwise. Unlike Tony, Peter still believed there was something resembling a human soul buried somewhere down deep inside Howard's aging body, but then again, Peter had an uncanny ability to sniff out the good in just about anyone.</p><p>Even in people who didn't deserve it.</p><p>"Yeah, okay." Tony jumped as yet another barrage of machine gun fire erupted from the speaker, followed directly by an ear-splitting <em>whoop</em> only barely drowned out by a booming explosion.</p><p>"Aw, <em>yeah!" </em>cried Captain Barnes. "Stevie, Danvers, did you see that? I just took that fucker out with only the guns!"</p><p>"Oh, really?" said Carol. "And here I thought the pretty yellow flash of light was just for show!"</p><p>"It was a great shot, Buck," said Rogers.</p><p>"Just don't let it go to your head, okay Barnes?" added Lorne. "Gods know it's big enough already."</p><p>"Seems like those Meridians aren't liking what we're hitting 'em with up here," said Mitchell. "How long do you think it'll be before we see some of their new hardware?"</p><p>"Ah, whenever it is it won't be able to stack up to these babies," said Rogers. "Pretty sure we've hit the jackpot with these."</p><p>Tony let out a chuckle as the banter continued, a slight flush creeping up his neck as Rogers continued praising the aircraft like he was getting paid to do so.</p><p>
  <em>I wonder if he knows I'm listening.</em>
</p><p>Shaking his head clear of thoughts of blue eyes and broad shoulders—and don't even get him started on those sinfully kissable <em>lips</em>—Tony attempted to turn his attention back to his workstation, where JARVIS' blinking cursor sat patiently waiting. There was only about an hour or so left in the patrol and he was hoping to get Phillips to sign off on the simulator protocols so he could start implementing them ASAP.</p><p>"Okay, so," he began, clearing his throat. "I'm hoping to nail down the final details for the space flight simulations in the next couple days, and I've got Pete working on the final designs for both the satellites and the tesseract containment vessel. Once those are done I'll upload them so you can take a look, all right?"</p><p>"I'm looking forward to it, sir," answered JARVIS. "Based on the preliminary designs already included by Master Peter, I am currently estimating no issues with either the satellites or the containment vessel."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm not surprised," said Tony. "Pete's about as smart as they come."</p><p>"It would appear so, sir."</p><p>"Thanks, JARVIS."</p><p>"You are most welcome."</p><p>Breathing in a shaky breath, Tony gathered up his armload of completed simulator protocols and the speaker and hurried out of his office, finding Phillips dozing in his chair in the upper section of the hangar. Apparently he'd found that afternoon's patrol rather boring.</p><p>"Good afternoon, Colonel," Tony said, barely concealing his smirk when Phillips snapped awake, glowering in Tony's direction. "From the sounds of it everything's been going fine up there."</p><p>"Yeah, they're all having a ball," said Phillips, not without a hint of nostalgia. "Almost makes me wonder if you designed those things to be a bit too much fun."</p><p>Tony shrugged. "Can't hurt for recruitment if the aircraft are actually enjoyable, can it?"</p><p>"Oh, like you care about recruitment," Phillips said, crossing his arms. "How's your kid doing?"</p><p>"Oh, you know. Hanging in there," Tony replied, ignoring the stab of pain piercing his heart. "Not much else he can do."</p><p>"Ah huh. You at least got to see him the other day, didn't you?"</p><p>"Yeah, for about an hour. Thanks." Tony didn't add that he hadn't been able to get back to the hospital since then, having been swamped during the days and working through the night the past three nights trying to input all of Peter's code into his computer. Rhodey had even found him there just the previous morning right after the end of the blackout period, passed out cold on top of Peter's incredible drawing of the mother bird and her three chicks.</p><p>"Now c'mon, Tones, we've talked about this!" Rhodey had said as he dragged Tony down to the cadets' locker room and shoved him into a shower stall. "I swear, the next time I have to do this I'm gonna put you in a plebe's uniform!"</p><p>"At least their colours are better," Tony had grumbled, swiftly changing his tune when he returned to his office to find Rhodey sitting at his desk in front of a full plate of food—including two of the chocolate chip muffins that Tony loved—and not one but <em>two </em>cups of coffee.</p><p>Damn him and his sneaky ways of forcing Tony to take better care of himself.</p><p>If only he didn't love coffee so much. And chocolate chip muffins.</p><p>"So, um… I've got all of the simulator protocols done," Tony said, handing Phillips the pile of papers. "Long as you don't see any issues they should be good to go."</p><p>"Long as I don't see any issues, huh," Phillips said as he took the stack, shooting Tony a scowl as he flipped through them without even looking. "Tony, you know damn well that there's no way I'd be able to see any issues with these things just by looking at 'em written out."</p><p>"Well… yeah, but—"</p><p>"Are there any issues?"</p><p>"No, sir. None," answered Tony.</p><p>"Good. And how soon can they be implemented?"</p><p>"As soon as they're programmed into the simulator."</p><p>"Ah huh. And when will that be?"</p><p>"Two days from now should work, sir. That'll give me enough time to get all of them programmed and run through for troubleshooting purposes."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, can't forget the troubleshooting." Phillips handed the papers back to Tony, tilting his head. "Will that give you enough time to go and see your kid too?"</p><p>"Um…"</p><p>"Go and see your kid, Tony, that's an order," Phillips said. "Tonight or tomorrow night, I don't give a damn which, but I'm not going to authorise those simulations as ready until you do. Is that clear?"</p><p>"O-kay," Tony said slowly. "But—"</p><p>"I didn't ask for any of your questions," snapped Phillips. "Just do what I say."</p><p>"Yes, sir," Tony said quickly. "Thank you."</p><p>Phillips gave a nod, pushing himself up from his chair as the first of the X-302s began rolling into the hangar.</p><p>"Looks like another successful patrol, Tony," he said. "Congratulations. Seems like your plan is on track."</p><p>"Yeah, I think so," agreed Tony, his voice trailing off as Captain Rogers emerged from his cockpit and removed his helmet, his thick blond hair plastered to his head with sweat. Tony's heart gave a flutter as he licked his lips, trying to not imagine running his fingers through that hair—and failing so miserably that he almost laughed—when Rogers suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with him, giving him an almost imperceptible nod before his buddy Barnes tugged on his arm and dragged him away.</p><p><em>I sure as hell hope he wasn't looking at Phillips, </em>Tony thought as he inhaled a shaky breath. <em>Holy shit that guy is hot.</em></p><p>Then again, why would someone like Rogers be looking at Tony? It's not like a top-notch, recruiting-poster boy pilot like him would ever be interested in a civilian single father like Tony.</p><p>Especially since his last name happened to be Stark.</p><p>With a quick shake of his head, Tony turned back to Phillips to ask for his dismissal, and was startled to find the colonel staring directly at him.</p><p>"Is there a problem, sir?" Tony asked.</p><p>Phillips blinked and shook his head, the odd look disappearing into the lines on his face. "Not unless you've managed to make one magically appear in the last ninety seconds," he said. "You're dismissed."</p><p>"Thanks." Tony quickly gathered his papers, hurrying out of the hangar before Phillips could change his mind. He had no earthly clue as to why the old officer was suddenly so insistent on Tony getting out on time to visit his son, especially since he couldn't recall a single instance where Phillips had ever even met Peter.</p><p>It was almost as though Phillips was being encouraged to do so, but why and by whom Tony had no idea. Rhodey was a possibility, but since his position within the Air Corps was rather precarious as well Tony highly doubted he would risk it further by bringing up the personal life of one of the Corps' civilian contractors to his boss, no matter how close he and Tony were.</p><p>And Tony would never fault him for it either. It still filled Tony with rage that it took the government leaders over a month to decide to allow the surgeons to attempt to fix Rhodey's spine after his accident, by which time the damage had grown too severe for him to ever attempt to fly again.</p><p>If the leadership hadn't dragged their heels so goddamn much then it might've been Rhodey—who had far and away been one of the best pilots ever to pass through the Air Corps—up there flying one of the new X-302s along with Captain Rogers. But instead, he was stuck teaching the same basic flight tactics to a crop of new recruits every six months while trying to live vicariously through the stories that Carol told him about flying the newest aircraft.</p><p>Not exactly the definition of the Langaran military dream.</p><p>Tony often wondered if Rhodey ever mentioned that little tidbit to his cadets.</p><p><em>Not unless he was itching for a court-martial, </em>Tony thought bitterly as he unlocked his office door. Then he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sank down onto his chair, pushing all thoughts of Rhodey's injury and Captain Rogers' sweat-plastered hair out of his mind as he imagined the huge smile on his sweet son's face when he told him that he'd gotten JARVIS up and running.</p><p>"All right," Tony said to his papers. "Let's do this."</p><hr/><p>"So you think I should make the width of the containment vessel five millimetres instead of four?" Peter asked, marking a note next to his brand-new drawing. "That'll end up making the whole thing about ten percent heavier, which'll—"</p><p>"Yes, but that small increase in mass will give you another seventy-six percent in channeling capacity," insisted Grandpa. "And we could probably boost that up to eighty or even higher if we altered the design from a true cube to a more rhomboid shape." He paused, holding out his hand for Peter's pencil, which Peter promptly handed to him. "It's like this. You alter the design just so, and—" Peter watched as his grandfather proceeded to sketch out a rough diagram of an alternate containment vessel, one that slanted slightly outwards instead of straight down. "—this would allow more of the energy to build up inside the container before it gets funnelled into the satellites, which means higher amounts of energy are produced, which means—"</p><p>"We could build even more power plants, therefore reducing the overall strain on each individual plant and also reducing the chance of an accidental overload," Peter finished. "That's—well, as long as the extra energy buildup won't put any undue strain on the containment vessel, it should work."</p><p>"Which is why I said you should make it one millimetre thicker," added Grandpa. "This'll only work if the vessel is thicker, otherwise it's too high a risk."</p><p>Peter tapped his chin as he studied the drawing. "I'll have to ask Dad how much vibranium we'll have to work with," he said. "If there's not enough then we'll still have to go with the original idea, but if there is, then—"</p><p>"Ah, there should be plenty of it," Grandpa said dismissively. "The military never discloses exact numbers of anything to anyone who's not one of 'em. There'll be enough."</p><p>"Okay," said Peter. <em>But I'm still gonna ask Dad first.</em></p><p>"Good," said Grandpa. "Now, about the satellites. I'm thinking that we should—"</p><p>"We went over the satellites yesterday, Grandpa," Peter cut in. "Remember?"</p><p>"Oh." Grandpa immediately shrank back on the hard chair as though he was trying to disappear into it. "Yeah, that's right. So they're all set then, yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," said Peter. "I'm pretty sure."</p><p>"Well, good." Then he tipped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, and less than three minutes later he was snoring.</p><p>
  <em>Typical.</em>
</p><p>It was how all of Grandpa's visits went. He would show up sometime around mid-morning, huffing and puffing from walking all the way from their house to the hospital, sit down and debate with Peter about some aspect of the new project, and then the moment that Peter contradicted him about something or pointed out something that they'd already discussed, he would clam up and fall asleep.</p><p>Every single time. At least he'd remembered to bring Peter a new notebook since Dad had taken his old one. Peter couldn't wait to hear how JARVIS was going.</p><p>It wasn't that Peter minded Grandpa's visits all that much. He had been correct when he'd told Dad that Grandpa really didn't have anything else to do. When he wasn't with Peter at the hospital he was either at their house—with only his whisky for company—or out wandering around in the streets, and out of those three choices Peter far preferred him being at the hospital. At least then he knew for sure that he was still alive.</p><p>And it wasn't like Peter didn't have time to talk with him. Aside from working on the project, drawing pictures, and taking the occasional nap, Peter's daily schedule was pretty open. He just would've far preferred having his own father there.</p><p>Or Steve. He was a lot of fun to have around too, and he didn't constantly look at Peter as if he was going to suddenly burst into flame either, which was nice. Peter was getting really tired of people acting like he was going to crumble into pieces if they happened to look at him wrong.</p><p>He knew how precarious his condition was, he didn't need to be constantly reminded of it.</p><p>Shoving his hair from his eyes, Peter laid back against his pillows, glancing longingly out his window. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside from the looks of it, the kind of day that would've had him racing around on his bike or climbing the massive tree in the backyard. Dad used to joke that trying to contain Peter on a warm sunny day was like trying to force an explosion back into its bomb casing.</p><p>And while he would've given just about anything for even the chance to get another splinter in his palm or another skinned knee, Peter also knew that if that chance came at the expense of the entire country, then it wasn't worth it.</p><p>Because no one should ever have to go through what he had gone through ever again, and if Peter had the chance to prevent it, that meant he also had the responsibility to do so. If he didn't, well, then it would be like letting the bad guys win, and everyone knew that the bad guys weren't ever supposed to win.</p><p>A flutter of wings outside the window caught Peter's eye, and he smiled as he saw Mrs Bird returning to her nest, a fat worm caught in her beak that was pounced on so quickly by her three chicks that she barely had time to land first.</p><p>Apparently they were hungry, yet another thing that Peter could relate to, even though it now took him twice as long to actually eat anything.</p><p>Peter signed, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to wallow in self-pity for a few moments. All things aside about saving the country, Peter absolutely <em>hated </em>being so sick. He <em>hated</em> how cold his hands and feet always were, and the way the oxygen tubes rubbed the inside of his nose until it was raw, and the tape that made his skin itch where it covered all of his intravenous lines, and the fact that he could barely sit up without feeling dizzy, and—</p><p>A loud snorting sound broke him from his thoughts, and he glanced over at Grandpa, barely suppressing a giggle as he shifted slightly and his mouth dropped open.</p><p>He just looked so <em>old.</em> Old and worn, like Peter's favourite stuffed bear that still sat on his bed back at the house. Time had not been very friendly to him.</p><p>Peter obviously hadn't been around while his father was growing up and therefore had only heard about the deconstruction of Dad and Grandpa's relationship from Dad's point of view, but based on his own observations and his relationships with them both, it wasn't too shocking that they'd had their various issues over the years. Both of them were stubborn as hell—as was Peter, but that was currently beside the point—and also very forward-thinking, something that Peter's father liked to call being a futurist.</p><p>As was Peter, but again, he wasn't referring to himself at the moment.</p><p>Unfortunately, based on his sample size of two—<em>okay, maybe three</em>—from Peter's perspective, possessing such futuristic thinking skills often led to approximately ten to fifteen percent of actual progress and eighty-five to ninety percent of pure frustration. And apparently the Stark family—or at least the Stark men, since Peter never got the chance to meet his grandmother—didn't really know how to handle such immense frustration in ways that weren't unhealthy. Even before Grandpa's arrest and subsequent trial, Dad had always described him as being cold and distant, which only grew worse once his trial was over.</p><p>His rather passionate love affair with whisky apparently didn't help at all either, and while Grandpa had insisted after Peter's admission that he had dumped all of the whisky down the drain, Peter could still often smell it on him when he came to visit.</p><p>Apparently there were some demons that Grandpa just couldn't excise on his own.</p><p>Peter wasn't about to tell Dad about it, though. There was already enough bad blood between the two of them.</p><p><em>If only Dad could see him now, </em>Peter thought. <em>Would he still see the father that he claimed to hate, or would he see him as the old, broken man that he really is?</em></p><p>Peter feared it would be the former, and the thought made him sad, even as he could understand Dad's point of view. The trial of Howard Stark had consumed Langara for over three years, during which he was kept locked away from his family and constantly vilified in both the official news and by the vast majority of Langara's citizens. Having no way for Grandpa to refute the stories being told about him, it's no wonder a young child would grow suspicious enough of an absent parent to end up hating them, especially since he and Grandpa hadn't exactly been all that close before he was arrested.</p><p>But based on what Grandpa had told Peter—and multiple times too, since he often tended to forget what he'd told him—his arrest had been nothing but a frame. That he had been set up from the very beginning by a disgruntled colleague who had somehow fled the country—apparently along with some super-secret Langaran military tech—by the time Grandpa was released from custody and hadn't been seen or heard from since.</p><p>As to why the Langaran officials never made it a priority to look for this person remained a mystery, as did the tech that he allegedly stole.</p><p><em>At least it wasn't the tesseract, </em>Peter thought.</p><p>From what Peter had learned in school and Dad had explained to him, Grandpa had been a member of a group of scientists that were attempting to study the tesseract as a means to help solve the worsening Langaran energy crisis. Only three days before the Battle of the Continents, Grandpa had caused a rather minor explosion—as if explosions could ever really be called <em>minor—</em>inside his laboratory while he was attempting to gauge the energy output from the strangely glowing cube, and it was that incident that then led to his arrest following the massive explosion that wiped out not only the main Langaran power plant and every structure and person both in and around it, but was also powerful enough to nearly level the nearby mountain.</p><p><em>Nearly </em>level, Grandpa had always emphasised. <em>Nearly </em>level, not completely level, which in his mind should've been an automatic clue that he was innocent. Because if he in fact had been tampering with the tesseract with the intention of causing an explosion, the resulting fallout would've been massive enough to completely wipe Langara off the planet.</p><p>But since none of the other scientists could corroborate Grandpa's theory—<em>because none of them could understand what he was saying half the time</em>—he was put on such a spectacle of a trial that it lasted three whole years because Dad said it took the government that long to admit that they were wrong.</p><p>Instead of attempting to figure out what went wrong, they just wanted someone to blame.</p><p>Those three years also saw the transformation of the entire Langaran society from a civilian-led republic with a strong military component to a full-on military dictatorship. Peter supposed that they had initially meant well, trying to maintain order during the panic that followed the country-wide loss of electrical power. But it had been twenty-eight years since the Battle of the Continents. It was far past the time for the military to start loosening its iron grip on the nation and allow it to rise up again.</p><p>It was time for Langara to be reborn.</p><p>"Huh?" Grandpa suddenly said as he woke with a start. "Did you say something?"</p><p>"No, Grandpa, I didn't," Peter answered with a sigh. He glanced up at the clock, noting that it was already 1500 hours. The last thing Peter wanted was for Dad to drop by and see his grandfather sitting in his room. "You might want to start heading back soon though. Don't wanna get caught out after curfew."</p><p>"Eh, I'm not worried about them," said Grandpa. "What're they gonna do, arrest me?"</p><p>"Well… yeah," Peter said carefully. "That's what they do when people are out after curfew, Grandpa. You know that."</p><p>"Yeah, well, it didn't take the first time, so why should it now?" Grandpa muttered, rolling his eyes in such a perfect imitation of Dad that Peter's throat tightened.</p><p>"Yeah, but—"</p><p>"Just make sure you redesign that containment vessel and you should be fine, all right?" Grandpa cut in. "I'll look it over next time."</p><p>"Uh huh," said Peter. He watched as Grandpa struggled to get to his feet, swearing under his breath. "Be careful walking home, okay?"</p><p>Grandpa shook his head, laying a wrinkled hand on Peter's shoulder. "Ah don't worry about me, young man, it's you that we should be worried about. At least that's what Tony's always saying."</p><p>
  <em>Yeah. That's just great.</em>
</p><p>"Uh huh. Bye."</p><p>As soon as the door closed behind him Peter huffed out a puff of air, followed directly by a hard, junky cough that led right into a full-on coughing fit. He shoved his face into his elbow, swallowing against the awful tickle in his throat as he tried to take deep, even breaths. He really didn't feel like triggering any of his monitors at the moment.</p><p>Or in any moment, for that matter.</p><p>He had just managed to take a true, deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes when someone knocked on his door.</p><p>"Come in?"</p><p>"Hey, little guy!" Steve said as he swept into the room, sketchbook and pencil in hand and a wide smile on his face. "How're you doing today?"</p><p>"Great!" Peter exclaimed. It had been two days since Peter had last seen Steve and he had <em>missed</em> him. "I'm so glad you're here!"</p><p>"Me too," Steve said as he sat down, ruffling Peter's hair. "I'm sorry it's been a few days. They've been keeping us pretty busy at the base lately, so—"</p><p>"Oh, that's okay," Peter said quickly. After the rather tense afternoon he'd had with his grandfather Peter was looking forward to relaxing a little. He picked up his own notebook and pencil, flipping to a clean page.</p><p>"So, what should we draw today?"</p><p>"Oh, I don't know," said Steve. "What do you feel like drawing? More of the adventures of Mrs Bird?"</p><p>Peter nibbled on the end of his pencil, thinking. "How 'bout a big tree? You know, the kind that kids like to climb? There's a big one in the backyard of my house that I used to climb all the time before—" He broke off, biting his bottom lip. "Well, when I was little. Didn't you used to climb trees when you were little?"</p><p>To Peter's surprise, Steve's cheeks immediately flushed a deep pink. "Actually, I didn't do a lot of tree-climbing when I was little, Peter," he said, clearing his throat. "But I don't mind trying to draw the perfect climbing tree now if that's what you'd like."</p><p>"Oh. Well, are you sure?" Peter couldn't imagine why someone as strong as Steve would have trouble climbing a tree, but he wasn't about to pry into something that was obviously bothering him. "'Cause we don't have to. We can pick something else."</p><p>"No, no, I'd love to see the tree in your backyard, little guy," Steve said. He leaned back in his chair, resting his sketchbook on his knee like he always did. "Ready?"</p><p>Peter gave a nod, readying his pencil. <em>Maybe Steve's house just didn't have any good trees for climbing when he was little.</em></p><p>"Yep, I'm ready," he said. "Let's go."</p><hr/><p>Steve stood next to the life-sized simulator cockpit located in the far back section of the hangar, trying very hard to ignore Bucky's impatiently drumming fingertips on the hull of his own simulator. Colonel Phillips had informed their team just the previous day that since Anthony Stark had finished uploading and testing the new space-travel programs, their usual patrol schedules were being altered to reflect a four-hour simulator session every third day, with the option to stretch the session to six hours if Anthony deemed it necessary.</p><p>Unfortunately, Anthony was now seven minutes late to begin Steve and Bucky's session.</p><p>"Where the hell do you think he is?" grumbled Bucky. "It's not like this isn't important or anything."</p><p>"I don't know, Buck," Steve answered. "But I'm sure it doesn't do any good to whine about it."</p><p>"Well, okay then, Mr Goody-two-shoes," Bucky said as he shot Steve a frown. "What're you so testy for this morning, hmm?"</p><p>"I'm not testy," Steve snapped, huffing when Bucky raised an eyebrow. "I just don't think we should be so quick to judge someone when we don't know what's—"</p><p>He trailed off as Anthony suddenly burst through the door, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and clutching his usual mess of papers.</p><p>"Sorry 'bout that, gentlemen," he said, his eyes flicking briefly over to Steve. "Colonel Phillips asked me to oversee the X-302s as they took off this morning."</p><p>Steve glanced over at Bucky, quirking an eyebrow. <em>See? He did have a good reason for his tardiness.</em></p><p>"It's all right, Mr Stark," he said with a smile. "We understand."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, but we probably should get started now, shouldn't we?" asked Bucky. "Isn't this stuff kinda important?"</p><p>"Yes it is, Captain," said Anthony. He gestured towards the two simulators. "If you gentlemen don't mind climbing in we can get started right away."</p><p>Steve's heart thudded as he climbed inside his cockpit and fitted his earpiece over his ear, from both excitement and nerves. He had been debating with himself almost nonstop for the last couple days if he should just bite the bullet and ask Anthony out on a date, or if he should confess that he had been visiting with Anthony's son at the hospital first and <em>then</em> attempt to ask him out on a date. On the one hand, despite what Peter had told him, Steve wasn't quite sure how Anthony would react to hearing that essentially a perfect stranger was being allowed to visit with his sick child, while on the other hand, the fact that Steve had managed to pass none other than Howard Stark himself in the hallway outside of Peter's room the other day and <em>not </em>feel the immediate urge to punch him in the face only proved that Steve's innate hatred for the Stark family wasn't really hatred at all.</p><p>It was ignorance.</p><p>And curiosity, piqued by the diagram Steve had caught a glimpse of in Peter's notebook which had then led him to spend quite a few hours in the computer lab over the last couple of nights. He had been extra careful with his queries, avoiding any mention of Project Phoenix or Howard Stark and instead focused his attention on trying to figure out why the other civilian science contractors mentioned in the files were no longer with the Air Corps.</p><p>Some of them were obvious. Justin Hammer had been removed from his post because he had failed to live up to the Air Corps expectations, which Steve could attest to personally. Bruce Banner had apparently died in an accidental lab explosion a few years back, the cause of which was classified beyond Steve's clearance level. He got the same result for Reed Richards, who had also died from some sort of tragic accident that was classified above Steve's clearance level.</p><p>The only scientist aside from Howard and Anthony Stark who seemed to still be alive was Hank Pym, and yet unlike the others there was absolutely nothing about him listed in the database aside from the fact that he had once worked for the Air Corps. In fact, his name wasn't even clickable.</p><p>And something about that just didn't sit right with Steve.</p><p>"Okay, so, you gentlemen might've noticed that the cockpit has been slightly rearranged," Anthony said over the comm. "This is because in order for the power source to be able to propel the aircraft through the planet's atmosphere and into space, we had to make the whole thing quite a bit lighter."</p><p>"And hopefully back again, correct, Mr Stark?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Well, yeah, that is one of the main goals," Anthony answered. "The Air Corps isn't in the business of stranding its pilots out in space."</p><p>Steve was certain that Anthony had meant his statement to be humorous, but Steve couldn't help but notice the tiny waver in his voice, as if he was afraid if something like that did happen then he would get blamed for it.</p><p>Which, if Steve was being honest, he probably would.</p><p>Yet another thing that didn't sit right with him.</p><p>"Yeah, okay, but I'm sure we're not going through all of this to get out there and then not have a way to get back," said Bucky. "So why don't we just get on with it, okay?"</p><p>"Good idea, Captain Barnes," said Anthony. "Now, you might've noticed in the X-302 flight manuals that those aircraft are using a brand-new power source that not only is far lighter and less noisy than conventional jet fuel, but also semi-renewable."</p><p>"The arc reactors," Steve blurted out, shaking his head when he felt his cheeks heating up. "Isn't that correct, Mr Stark?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's right, Captain Rogers. I guess that means that you've read the flight manual?"</p><p>"Probably only had to once," said Bucky. "That's all Stevie ever has to read anything, the lucky bastard."</p><p>"Okay, well, Captain Rogers is correct," said Anthony. "The X-302 aircrafts are the first to use the new arc reactor propulsion systems, and judging from what I've seen and by your daily flight reports, they seem to be performing well."</p><p>"I've never flown a more smooth aircraft, Mr Stark. You should be proud," said Steve.</p><p>"Ah, thank you, Captain. I'm glad you're enjoying it."</p><p>"Oh, I definitely am," added Steve, wincing as soon as the words left his mouth. Bucky was right; he was <em>way </em>out of practise on his flirting techniques. He tugged on the collar of his t-shirt as he cleared his throat, very grateful that Anthony couldn't see him at the moment since his face was likely the colour of an overripe tomato.</p><p>"Okay, but what exactly do you mean by semi-renewable?" asked Bucky.</p><p>"I believe Mr Stark is referring to the palladium cores inside the arc reactors," said Steve. "They require regular replacement due to burnout."</p><p>"That's correct, Captain Rogers," said Anthony. "At the moment we're finding that each core can last for about five patrols before it needs to be replaced. But since a potential space mission would be longer than your average patrol the Air Corps can't afford to run the risk of a core burning out, so there's another element that we'll be using as the core for those missions that doesn't have the same risk of burnout."</p><p>"Oh," said Bucky. "Cool."</p><p>"Are there any other questions before we begin?" asked Anthony.</p><p>"Yeah, I've actually got one more," Bucky said. "Why are we even thinking about going into space in the first place? Just for the hell of it? To show the Meridians that we can?"</p><p>There was a pause before Anthony answered. "While I'm sure the Air Corps leadership wouldn't mind that, I'm afraid that the actual reason is still classified. Sorry."</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Bucky. "Not sure I like that. If we're gonna be risking our lives to get there, I'm gonna wanna know why!"</p><p>"I'm sure they'll tell us long before we actually go on a mission, Buck," said Steve.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah."</p><p>"Please continue, Mr Stark," Steve said.</p><p>"Thanks, Captain," said Anthony. "So, the first thing we'll run through are the takeoff procedures. Now, following a normal runway takeoff the first thing you'll need to do is…"</p><p>Steve tipped his head, briefly closing his eyes as Anthony continued on, listening carefully to the sound of his voice as he instructed them on the proper takeoff procedures for a space launch. His voice was so unique, low and melodic, with a slightly raspy quality that Steve had noticed in Peter as well. He had also noticed that both Peter and Anthony tended to speak faster the more excited or passionate they were about something.</p><p>He would gladly listen to Anthony's voice all day.</p><p>Roughly five hours and three successful simulated space launches later, Steve climbed out of his cockpit, practically buzzing from all of the adrenaline coursing through his body. The simulations that Anthony had designed were the most realistic that Steve had ever seen in all of his years of flying. He had literally felt like he was flying into space all three times, and based on the look of awe on Bucky's face he was thinking the exact same thing.</p><p>"Thanks for your time, gentlemen," Anthony said from his perch in the control room. "See ya in a few days."</p><p>"Oh man, I am definitely looking forward to that again," Bucky said as they exited the hangar, heading for the locker room. "That was incredible!"</p><p>"Yeah, it was," answered Steve. "If the real thing is anything like those simulations then we're gonna be in for a treat."</p><p>"Mmm," said Bucky, poking his sharp elbow into Steve's side. "Seems like you've already got one though. I swear, Stevie, I've never seen you like this before. It's like you're in a trance every time the guy shows his face. I was even embarrassed for you back there!"</p><p>Steve pursed his lips. "I am <em>not—"</em></p><p>"Oh you are, and you know it," Bucky said. "And look, I know I kinda gave you a hard time about it before, but if you really think this guy is worth it, then I say go for it."</p><p>"Oh yeah, sure," Steve said as he pushed open the locker room door, surprised when Bucky didn't laugh. "Wait, you're being serious?"</p><p>Bucky shrugged, bobbing his head back and forth. "Yeah. Like I said, I've never seen you so goddamn googly-eyed over anyone before, so… maybe the guy's better than his reputation says."</p><p>"You mean his father's reputation," Steve insisted. "The one that's been hanging over his head for most of his life?"</p><p>"Yeah, whatever," said Bucky. "Just… be careful when you tell your ma, okay? 'Cause I'm still not sure how she'll handle you dating a Stark."</p><p>"I'm not dating him, Bucky," Steve said quickly.</p><p>"Not yet, you're not," Bucky said with a rather evil grin. "Something tells me that might not be the case for too much longer."</p><p>Instinctively Steve smiled, already running through possibilities through his head of how he might ask Anthony out when a thought suddenly occurred to him.</p><p>"Hey, Buck?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"How much of what you just told me did Sam tell you to say?"</p><p>The three second pause that followed was all Steve needed. No wonder Bucky had changed his tune so quickly.</p><p>"Um… I'd say about half? Maybe three-quarters?" Bucky finally admitted. "But I did mean it, Stevie, I promise. I just wanna see you happy. That whole I'm-never-gonna-fall-in-love thing just doesn't suit you. You're just too… good to not be shared with someone."</p><p>"Said like someone who used to think the very same thing, until he fell in love," said Steve. "Well, I won't hold it against you."</p><p>"Thanks. I appreciate that."</p><p>"So, you got any ideas on how I could ask him out?" Steve asked, groaning as he tipped his head under the hot spray of the shower. "Or what we could do?"</p><p>"Well, Sam and I went on a lot of picnics back in the beginning," answered Bucky. "There's a nice spot east of the ball field that's great for stargazing, if you're into that kinda thing."</p><p>"Yeah, that sounds nice. Thanks," Steve said as he slotted the idea into its appropriate mental compartment. Based on what he'd observed it didn't seem like Anthony got to go to his home very much, not too surprising since Peter wasn't there anymore, so an after-dark picnic might just be up Anthony's alley.</p><p>"Just be prepared for some dirty looks if people see you with him, Stevie," Bucky said. "I know Anthony Stark isn't his father, but not everyone's gonna see it that way. There's a lot of prejudice floating around out there."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Steve said sadly. "If we stick to the base it should be okay. I mean, we are technically working together."</p><p>"True," said Bucky as he shut off his shower. "So, is it worth asking if you wanna join the rest of us for some card games before dinner, or do you need to go clear your head again?"</p><p>Steve hesitated. He had just visited with Peter the day before so he knew Peter wasn't expecting to see him again until tomorrow, but…</p><p>"Nah, I can join you guys," he said. He'd noticed it was raining out anyway, so not the best weather to be driving in on a motorcycle. "I'm already busy tomorrow though."</p><p>"Yeah, I figured," Bucky said. Then he snapped Steve on the side with his wet towel, laughing when Steve yelped. "C'mon, superman. Let's see if you can win back all the credits I owe you."</p><hr/><p>"And then this goes here, and that goes there, and then this thing should fit there, and… yeah. That just might work."</p><p>With a soft groan Tony pulled off his glasses, rubbing at his stinging eyes. He had just finished—or as finished as he could be before Peter had a chance to look everything over—the final design for the tesseract containment vessel, one that required slightly more vibranium than he had called for in his original calculations but would then compensate by boosting the energy output by at least another seventy-five percent.</p><p>"My kid is a genius," Tony repeated for probably the eightieth time in the last thirty minutes. Aside from creating an entirely new user interface program and drawing all of the diagrams of the satellites and containment vessels from Tony's specs, Peter had also managed to calculate how long the current national palladium stores would last before they were depleted and had already written programs for the creation and testing of new elements that could possibly replace the palladium should the need arise.</p><p>And now, once Tony was able to double-check everything through JARVIS, it was ready to present to Colonel Phillips. The colonel had put off their originally scheduled meeting, saying that something else had come up, and while Tony had initially been frustrated by the delay he was now grateful for it.</p><p>After however many hundreds of hours of work by both Tony and Peter, Project Phoenix was as ready as it would ever be.</p><p>And now came the hard part. Convincing Phillips had been relatively easy since he was sick and tired of the constant war. Convincing the rest of the military government, though, would not be.</p><p>Not. At. All.</p><p>But Tony didn't want to think about that now. For just a moment or two, he wanted to bask in the satisfaction that he and his beloved son had created something amazing together.</p><p>And hope like hell that it wouldn't be the last time they were able to do so.</p><p>A loud knock on his door startled him, and he quickly slid on his glasses as he glanced up at the clock. It was nearly 2330, well past the curfew time, so—</p><p>"Uh, who is it?" he called. Maybe one of the cadets had just gotten lost or something. It happened sometimes.</p><p>"It's Captain Rogers, Mr Stark," came the response. "I'd… like to ask you something."</p><p>Almost instantly Tony's mouth went dry. He had just seen Rogers earlier that day for his second simulator session, and he had seemed just fine.</p><p>Well, actually, more than fine. More like, <em>fine.</em></p><p><em>Oh gods, that was pathetic, </em>Tony thought, grimacing. <em>I am so out of practise.</em></p><p>It had been eight years, ten months, and thirteen days since the last time Tony had felt anything more than a fleeting attraction for someone, but really, who was counting?</p><p>And he really had no business being attracted to anyone at the moment, either. Not with his son in the hospital fighting for his life, and everything else that was at stake.</p><p>Tony couldn't seem to help it, though. Not when he could no longer convince himself that Rogers' meaningful glances were just accidents. Or that Rogers seemed to go out of his way to praise every single thing that he did.</p><p>Or when it felt like he'd been electrocuted every single time he locked eyes with him.</p><p>
  <em>Damn those blue eyes! And those shoulders! And the arms, and those cheekbones, and that jaw is pretty nice too, and—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Goddamnit.</em>
</p><p>"Um, is it okay if I come in?" Rogers asked through the still-closed door.</p><p>"Uhh." Tony's heart was thudding as he quickly gathered up all of his Project Phoenix papers and shoved them into a drawer, slamming it closed. Then he looked down at his lap, just now realising that he was still dressed in the same clothes he'd worn for the past two days.</p><p>Well, there wasn't anything he could do about it now. Hopefully he didn't smell like he'd worn the same clothes for the last two days.</p><p>
  <em>Calm down, you idiot. Maybe he just has a question about one of the flight manuals or something.</em>
</p><p>"Uh, yeah, Captain. You can come in."</p><p>Tony gulped as the door slowly opened, his heart skittering at the tentative smile on Rogers' face as he stepped inside.</p><p>"Hey, Captain," Tony said as he got to his feet. <em>God</em>damnit <em>he's handsome.</em> "Late night tonight, hmm?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Rogers replied. "I'm—I mean, I'm not usually out wandering around the hallways after blackout, but—your office still has lights?"</p><p>"Ah, yep," said Tony. "When I got assigned to the X-300 program I asked Colonel Phillips if I could move over here. I'm usually up working past the blackout time, so it just made more sense." Tony didn't add that his main reason for the request had been because he just couldn't stand working alone in a tiny, windowless room with only a small handlamp for light. Only certain sections of the base had electricity during the blackout periods, and Tony's office was now in one of them.</p><p>"You seem like you work really hard," Rogers said. "I've been really impressed with everything you've taught us lately."</p><p>"Well, yeah," Tony said with a shrug. "Helps keep my mind busy." <em>And off of other things.</em></p><p>"So, you said you had something you needed to ask me?" he prompted after a few seconds of awkward silence. Rogers' face immediately flushed pink, his blue eyes flicking nervously around the cramped office.</p><p>"Yeah, actually, I did," Rogers said. "I… um… well… you just said yourself that you're usually working late, so… I was thinking that maybe if you wanted to that we—you and I could maybe get something to eat together sometime? The officers' mess closes every night before the blackout starts but they always have self-serve food available for the evening and night shift patrol crews so… if you wanted… um… Does that sound like something you'd be interested in, maybe?"</p><p>He paused then, bouncing on his feet, his expression so boyishly eager that Tony almost chuckled.</p><p>"Um… sure, Captain. That sounds—that sounds nice," Tony said before he could change his mind. He had to admit that he was a bit surprised by Rogers' nervousness. For someone who looked like he could get any girl or guy that he wanted, Rogers sure seemed to be lacking in the suave department.</p><p>
  <em>Not exactly what I'd expect from a fighter pilot.</em>
</p><p>"Really?" Rogers said on a gasp. A wide smile stretched across his gorgeous full lips, the little crinkles by his eyes only enhancing his overall hotness factor. "Oh, that's great! Um… would tomorrow night work? I could grab us something and pick you up here at 2100, if that's okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, um… that should work," Tony said with a nod, hoping that Rogers couldn't hear how loud his heart was thudding.</p><p>Apparently the captain wasn't the only one who was nervous.</p><p>Rogers' smile grew impossibly wider, his blush creeping all the way up to his perfect ears. "Great," he said. "I'll… um… I guess I'll see you then. Thank you, Mr Stark. Or can I call you Anthony?"</p><p>"Tony," Tony said. "Most people call me Tony."</p><p>"Tony," Rogers repeated as he held out his hand. "My friends call me Steve."</p><p>With a tentative smile Tony took Steve's hand, a shock of warmth sparking inside his chest when Steve's warm fingers closed around his.</p><p>"Steve," he said softly. "It's nice to meet you."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😎 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit that kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for all of the kudos and kind comments!  I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!</p><p>Awesome moodboard made by Stella @therollingstonys thank you so much!  💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>Pulling his ancient car into the driveway, Tony cut the engine and tipped his head back, curling his fingers around the steering wheel. He only had about thirty minutes to get cleaned up and get back to the base before curfew, which while normally would've been plenty of time, the fact that he hadn't been to the house in almost two weeks had him dreading what it was going to look like once he got inside.</p><p>If Rhodey thought Tony was bad at taking care of himself then Howard was at least a thousand times worse, and with no one else in the house to encourage him to clean up his empty whisky bottles or pick up his dirty clothes, Tony was fearing the worst.</p><p>
  <em>Goddamn grown man who acts like an infant.</em>
</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Tony climbed out of the car and headed towards the house, hoping that at least Howard would be passed out or something so Tony wouldn't feel compelled to acknowledge him. He'd only decided to brave going home in the first place because he didn't feel like going on his first date in almost a decade wearing a two-day-old cadet's uniform. Such a gorgeous man as Steve Rogers deserved for Tony to at least smell like he hadn't been living in his tiny office for the past two weeks.</p><p><em>I need to start storing some clothes at the base, </em>Tony thought as he slid his key into the lock, wincing as he heard it click open. Rhodey had told him that he was free to use the cadets' locker room as often as he wanted, and even assigned him a locker to store his toiletries. The only thing that he said he wouldn't do was wash Tony's laundry for him, even though, as Tony so helpfully pointed out, he used to do it for him during their time at university together.</p><p>"Yeah, but back then you were just a dumb-ass kid," Rhodey had grumbled. "Now you're just a dumb-ass adult who should've learned how to wash his own damn clothes a long time ago."</p><p>Which, Tony had to grudgingly admit, was probably true.</p><p>The smell hit Tony before he even crossed the threshold, an absolutely disgusting combination of stale whisky, burnt food, and body odour that Tony was shocked hadn't yet summoned at least one of their nosy neighbours. The inside also felt like it was at least forty degrees, the trapped heat causing the dense, stale air to hover chest-high, almost like a fog.</p><p>It was revolting. Almost as gross as the old man passed out cold on the couch, a tipped-over highball glass barely caught in one hand.</p><p><em>Fuck you, Howard, </em>Tony thought bitterly. <em>Where's all your grand talk about quitting drinking now, huh? </em></p><p>
  <em>Nothing but empty words. Can't say that I'm shocked.</em>
</p><p>Empty. It was exactly how Tony felt every single time he had to look at the man who was his father. Since Peter's near-death experience rage had worked its way in there too, taking up residence as a very close second, but since Tony didn't often have enough energy to spend so much of it raging at Howard, empty would just have to suffice.</p><p>Covering his mouth with his hand, Tony headed down the short hallway to his bedroom, relieved to find it spared the catastrophic condition of the rest of the house. He quickly crossed the room to open the window, gulping in a few lungfuls of the cooling night air.</p><p>It was going to be a nice night for a late picnic.</p><p>Warmth flared in Tony's chest as he recalled the look on Rogers'—<em>Steve's</em>—face when he agreed to his invitation for the date, one of pure, boyish delight, amplified by the desire he'd noticed sparking in the handsome pilot's gorgeous blue eyes.</p><p>Not that Tony was an expert or anything, but in his pre-Peter life he had borne witness to more than his fair share of desire enhanced by a stiff drink or three, and it was a lot nicer than Tony was willing to admit to see a similar thing in Steve's eyes unencumbered by the influence of alcohol.</p><p>With a quick shake of his head, Tony moved to his closet, searching for something to wear that wasn't either wrinkled or dirty as he tried to reign himself in. Steve had seemed like the perfect gentlemen the previous night when he'd asked Tony out but he was still an Air Corps pilot, which meant that Tony needed to keep his guard up until he knew without a doubt that he could trust him.</p><p>Settling on one of his nicer t-shirts and a pair of dark grey pants, Tony grabbed some clean underwear and headed towards the bathroom he shared with Peter. His throat tightened as his eyes landed on Peter's shampoo bottle sitting on the shelf in the shower, tipped over onto its side like it always was. His washcloth was still there too, draped over the faucet, and the rubber duck he'd had since he was three, sitting just where he'd left it.</p><p><em>He's gonna come back again, </em>Tony thought, refusing to give in to the morbid thoughts that taunted him. <em>Once Project Phoenix is a success they'll have no choice but to let him have his surgery, and then he can come home again.</em></p><p>And then, once Peter was fully recovered, Tony was finally going to cast off Howard's iron veil and move them both out of that house, finally leaving all of its toxic memories behind. There was a beautiful three-bedroom log cabin situated out on a nearby lake that he'd had his eye on ever since he was assigned to the X-300 program, and it had just recently come up for rent again. The cabin would be perfect for him and Peter, nice and quiet with plenty of space for them to each have their own research areas but still close enough to the base for Tony to get to work easily.</p><p>Peter deserved far better than to have to grow up under the putrid shadow of Howard Stark, like he'd been forced to do.</p><p>Tony managed to shower, shave—without nicking himself too, for a change—and dress at near-lightning speed, and as he finished combing his hair into place he stepped back, eyeing his reflection with a critical eye.</p><p>"Eh, I guess it's not too bad," he said with a shrug. Hopefully Steve would think so too.</p><p>He had just grabbed his wallet and keys and closed his bedroom door when Howard suddenly appeared in front of him, his eyes all hooded and bloodshot and still holding the highball glass in his hand.</p><p>"Tony?" he said, tilting his head like he was trying to place him. "What're you doing here?"</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm just passing through," Tony grumbled. "So you can go right back to doing whatever the hell it is that you do when—"</p><p>"Did Peter tell you about the redesign I made for the containment vessel?" Howard cut in, tipping sideways into the wall. "The rhombus? It'll boost the energy output by at least—"</p><p>"Hold on, that was you?" Tony asked, scowling. "And what the hell were you doing with Peter? I told you to stay away from him!"</p><p>"I'm allowed to see my grandson if I want to, Tony!" Howard snapped back. "And he at least listens to what I have to say, which is a lot more than you've ever done!"</p><p>"No, you are goddamn <em>not </em>allowed to see him if I say you're not!" shouted Tony. "<em>I'm </em>his father, not you! You're just… you're just an old drunken liar who doesn't have anything better to do than torment people!"</p><p>Howard's shoulders sagged, his eyes flicking guiltily to the glass in his hand.</p><p>"What happened to me wasn't my fault, Tony," he said quietly. "You of all people should be able to understand that."</p><p>Tony sucked in a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. It was the same old argument that Howard always used to try and justify his utter failure to retain some semblance of humanity after his release from prison.</p><p>"Maybe not," Tony finally said. "But everything that happened afterwards was. You not only managed to destroy your own life, you also destroyed Mom's and made mine pretty much a living hell. I can't go anywhere without people throwing me dirty looks just 'cause my last name happens to be Stark! And then—" He broke off as tears welled in his eyes, remembering Peter's freezing-cold, pasty-grey skin on that horrible night when he nearly died in his own bed. "And then, your ignorance and incompetence nearly killed my son! Peter almost <em>died</em>, Howard, and that is something that I will never, ever forgive you for. Not ever!"</p><p>Howard's head snapped back as if Tony had slapped him, his eyes wild. "I never meant to hurt the boy, Tony! I would never do such a thing on purpose, so—"</p><p>"Oh no, you'd just do it on accident because you were too drunk to see straight, isn't that right?" Tony said. "Nothing's ever your fault, is it? Always blaming everyone else for everything that goes wrong because you can never own up to the fact that you're the failure! It was <em>your </em>fault that Peter almost died that night, and if he can forgive you for it then that's because he's too good for this fucking world that we're stuck in. But I will not. It is way past the time for you to start owning up to all of your goddamn mistakes!"</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"No!" Tony yelled. "No more!" He sucked in a deep, shaky breath, pressing his palm to his thudding heart. "I need to get back to the base."</p><p>But Tony had barely taken three steps towards the door when Howard spoke up again.</p><p>"The boy is going to die, Tony," he said coldly. "I know it, and so does he. And the sooner you start admitting it to yourself the better off both of you will be."</p><p>Before he even realised what he was doing Tony had turned around and grabbed Howard by the lapels of his uglier-than-sin robe, slamming him up against the wall.</p><p>"Don't you fucking <em>dare </em>say anything like that ever again!" he rasped in Howard's face, barely restraining himself from punching the smug look right off it. "I don't give a <em>damn</em> what you think, but I'm not going to stand here and let you poison my son's mind—"</p><p>"I'm not poisoning anything, Tony, I'm just telling you how I see it," Howard stated. "You forget that you were once the same way. I know what it's like, to have to come to grips with the fact that you're going to lose your child."</p><p>"Yeah?" Tony said, low and tight. "Well, then thank the gods that I'm nothing like you, because there is no way in <em>hell </em>that I'll ever give up on my son." He sucked in another deep breath, forcibly removing his hands from Howard's robe as he took a step back, briefly squeezing his eyes closed. It would not do well for him to self-combust right before his date.</p><p>"Acknowledging the inevitable isn't the same as giving up, Tony," Howard said to Tony's back as he headed for the door. "You'd do well to remember that."</p><p>"I'm not going to acknowledge something when it's not inevitable," he replied. Then he turned the knob and stepped through the door, slamming it closed behind him.</p><p><em>He's wrong. He's just plain wrong. He's nothing but an old drunk spewing nonsense, </em>Tony told himself over and over as he drove back to the base. Peter was the strongest person Tony had ever seen, and he'd already made it much longer than the doctors had ever imagined. There was no way he'd ever give up on himself now.</p><p>Not when they were so close to finally achieving everything they'd set out to achieve.</p><p>With less than three minutes left until curfew Tony pulled into his spot at the base, managing to make it to his office just as the lights cut out. His hands were shaking as he unlocked the door and stumbled towards his chair, fighting to keep back the tears threatening to fall.</p><p><em>Goddamn you, Howard, </em>he thought as he raked his hands through his hair. <em>Trying to get ready for the first date I've had in years and you had to go and pull that.</em></p><p>Sniffing, Tony glanced up at the clock. It was already 2030, only thirty minutes before Steve was due to pick him up, which meant he had just enough time to call Peter before he went to sleep for the night.</p><p>"Hey, Dad. How was your day?" Peter said once he answered the phone, his voice so small and tired that Tony's heart lurched. <em>Howard's wrong. He's just wrong.</em></p><p>"Not too bad, buddy," Tony said. "They didn't wake you up to talk to me, did they?"</p><p>"No, I wasn't asleep yet," Peter said. "Trying to finish up another drawing first."</p><p>"Ah." Tony smiled as he glanced up at the drawing of the bird and her three chicks that he'd tacked up onto to the corkboard behind his computer. "More birds?"</p><p>"No, not this time," answered Peter, barely suppressing a cough. "I'm drawing the big tree from our backyard."</p><p>"You mean the one I used to have to physically drag you down from every day when I got home?" asked Tony.</p><p>Peter chuckled, punctuated by another cough. "Yeah, that's the one. I'll show it to you the next time you come."</p><p>"I can't wait to see it." Tony pursed his lips, drumming his fingers on his desk as he struggled to think of how to bring up the unpleasant topic.</p><p>"Say, buddy," he began. "How often has Grandpa been showing up there at the hospital?"</p><p>"Uhh," Peter stammered. "Do you want me to tell you the truth, or what I think you'd wanna hear?"</p><p>"Pete—"</p><p>"Fine, fine," Peter said with a sigh. "He's been coming pretty much every day. Around mid-morning."</p><p>Tony groaned, scrubbing at his eyes with his palm. "And you didn't tell me about this, why, exactly?"</p><p>"'Cause I knew it would just get you upset," Peter replied. "And you've already got enough stress at work without adding more to it. Especially since it's not even a big deal."</p><p>"No, no, you know that nothing at work is more important than you, Pete," Tony said firmly. "And I can handle the stress just fine. It's you that I'm worried about."</p><p>"Grandpa doesn't stress me, Dad," said Peter. "He just doesn't have anything else to do, so—"</p><p>"So he forces you to keep him company, is that what you're telling me?"</p><p>"Dad," Peter said, in that dragged-out, whiny voice he always used when he thought Tony was being too unfun. "It's not like that. He's been helping me with some of the code and designs for the project and then he usually naps for a while in the chair. It's really no big deal."</p><p>"Mmm, well… he hasn't tried to steal any of your food, has he?" Tony asked. "'Cause if he has, then I'm gonna—"</p><p>"No, Dad, he hasn't," said Peter. "I'm not sure what he's been eating, but he's never tried to skim anything of mine."</p><p>"Well… at least there's that," Tony grumbled. "Look, Pete, I don't know what you and Grandpa have talked about and honestly I don't really want to know. But if he tries to tell you anything negative or doomsday about your… condition, then I want you to tell me about it right away. Is that clear?"</p><p>"Okay, fine," Peter said after a short pause. "But it's not like I don't already know what's going on. I don't need Grandpa to tell me anything 'cause I already know all of it."</p><p>Tony's belly gave a hard swoop at the resignation in Peter's voice. Apparently in just a few short weeks Howard had managed to trample all of his usual optimism into dust.</p><p>And that was something Tony was not prepared to allow.</p><p>"No, Pete, you really don't," Tony stated. "And I don't want to hear another word about it, okay? Don't you be listening to anything Grandpa says about that stuff 'cause none of it's true."</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>"Good." Tony glanced up at the clock again, his heart skittering when he saw it was already 2035.</p><p>"Say, buddy, I've got something else to tell you if that's okay."</p><p>"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" asked Peter, and Tony could just picture his son's eyebrows knitting together into what Tony had long-ago affectionately dubbed his <em>duh</em> look.</p><p>"Yeah. Well, anyway… I um…" Tony broke off, swallowing as he tried to reign in the wide smile stretching across his lips. "I've kinda got a date tonight, and—"</p><p>"You do?" Peter exclaimed, stifling another cough. "Dad, that's so awesome! Who with?"</p><p>"Uhh… one of the guys that I've been working with the last few weeks. He's—he's one of the X-302 pilots."</p><p>"Really?" Peter said. "He's a pilot?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said with a chuckle. "Who would've thought, hmm?"</p><p>"Yeah! And I'm so happy for you!" Peter said. "But please tell me you're not still wearing that ugly cadets' uniform, 'cause I'm pretty sure there's—"</p><p>"No, no, I forced myself to go home and get cleaned up," answered Tony, laughing for the first time in he couldn't remember how long. "Those uniforms really are hideous, aren't they?"</p><p>"Yeah," said Peter. "Which doesn't make any sense when you think about it. You'd think they'd try to lure the cadets in with nicer colours and then give them the uglier ones once they've got 'em hooked, wouldn't you?"</p><p>"Yeah, you'd think. But when has anything our government done ever made sense, hmm?"</p><p>"Mmm. So, you said he's a pilot?" Peter asked. "What's his name?"</p><p>Tony's smile grew even wider. "Ah, his name's Steve. And I've gotta tell you, Pete, he's just about the hottest guy that I've ever seen."</p><p>"Really?" Peter squawked, which made Tony's eyebrows shoot up. "What's he look like?"</p><p>"Tall, blond, blue eyes, broad shoulders, and the sweetest 'aw shucks' smile that you could possibly imagine," said Tony. "You know, the kind of guy who could probably get anyone he wanted. And he's a helluva good pilot too, at least from what I've seen."</p><p>Tony frowned when he heard what sounded a lot like Peter either crying or giggling into his elbow, he couldn't quite tell which.</p><p>"Pete? You okay? You're not crying, are you?"</p><p>"No," Peter squeaked. "I'm really happy for you, Dad. I hope you guys have fun."</p><p>"Okay, so then, what's so funny?"</p><p>"Nothing! Like I said, I'm just really happy for you."</p><p>"Hmm. Well, thanks. And I should be able to get there in time to see you tomorrow evening, all right? Colonel Phillips told me he's gonna make sure that I'm able to leave on time at least twice a week from now on."</p><p>"That's awesome, Dad. I can't wait."</p><p>"Me either," Tony said. "Sleep well, buddy. I love you."</p><p>"Love you too, Dad. 'Night."</p><p>Tony blinked as he hung up the phone, still trying to figure out what had gotten Peter so giggly to the point where he was squeaking.</p><p>"Probably just can't believe that his old man actually got asked out," Tony muttered. "Oh well. Long as the kid's happy." He looked up at the clock again, gulping when he saw it was already 2045. From what Tony had already seen of Steve the man was never late for anything, which meant he only had to amuse himself for about another fifteen minutes until he showed up.</p><p>And try to reign himself in. Because despite everything he'd tried to tell himself about keeping Steve at arm's length, at least at first, Tony could already tell that it was going to be much harder than he had anticipated.</p><p>As much as he hated to admit it, if the bolt of electricity that shot up his arm when Steve shook his hand the night before was any indication, Tony was already starting to fall for the tall, blond-haired, gorgeous-as-hell pilot.</p><p>And it <em>scared</em> him. One because he'd honestly never had a successful romantic relationship in his entire life, and two, he just could not afford to get too distracted from his work. He and Peter had come way too far for Tony to jeopardise it all now just because he'd fallen under the spell of a pair of bright blue eyes.</p><p>Then again, if Steve just happened to feel the same way, then maybe…</p><p>Maybe he should just go on the date first.</p><p>
  <em>It's just a date. It's not like we're gonna get married or anything.</em>
</p><p>Besides, who would want to marry a Stark?</p><hr/><p>Peter was still grinning as he hung up the phone, placing it on his bedside table for Ms Sharon to pick up later. Then he shook his head, wiping the happy tears from his eyes as he tried to calculate the actual odds of Steve and his father getting together.</p><p>If he was honest he probably should've figured it out a long time ago, given the fact that Steve was a pilot and all. Steve hadn't ever told him specifically what aircraft he flew, only that he flew patrols, which was pretty much what most of the pilots in the Air Corps did anyway, and since Peter hadn't been at all interested in hearing about Steve's work as a pilot they hadn't talked much about it since.</p><p>It seemed like Steve preferred it that way anyway. Peter's initial first impressions of him aside, Steve had turned out to be a really great guy who seemed to enjoy spending time with Peter. He'd even confessed on one of his last visits that he felt like he could truly be himself when he was around Peter, instead of what he felt the Air Corps expected him to be, which to Peter was probably the biggest compliment that Steve could've given him.</p><p>And the fact that Steve had obviously gotten to not only know Peter's father but decided that he liked Dad enough to ask him out on a date, well, that was just funny.</p><p>
  <em>Out of all the wacky coincidences… </em>
</p><p>A thought suddenly occurred to him, his eyebrows knitting together as he tried to make sense of the zig-zaggy timeline.</p><p>"So… Steve shows up here out of the blue. Then the next day he goes to Dad's class on the X-302s and he obviously would've learned Dad's name, but I never told Steve my last name and Ms Sharon told me that they're not allowed to tell anyone who isn't family, and Dad's not allowed to talk about anything personal at work, so…" He tapped his chin, trying to force his tired mind to work.</p><p>Somehow, Steve had managed to figure out who Peter was. It was the only explanation Peter could think of for his goofy reaction when he'd said that his father would probably like him if they ever met. Steve's face had turned as red as a beet, which could only mean that he'd already decided that he liked Dad, and Dad had seemed so giddy on the phone it was obvious that he really liked Steve. It had been so long since Peter had heard anything resembling excitement in his father's voice that he had almost forgotten what it sounded like.</p><p>Slowly, Peter rolled onto his side, careful to keep his IV lines from kinking or tangling as he tried to get comfortable enough to sleep. The doctors had been telling him he should try to sleep propped up since it was easier on his lungs, but he'd never been able to get comfy like that. He rubbed at his sore nose, sucking in a rattling breath as he closed his eyes, a soft smile stretching across his lips.</p><p>If Dad and Steve's date went well enough, then maybe they'd even end up getting married someday. Uncle James had told Peter a while ago that he was planning to propose to Auntie Carol soon, once he was able to work up the courage, and Peter knew that the Air Corps strongly encouraged their pilots—especially their test pilots—to marry and have families since it gave them some semblance of stability in their pretty unstable lives.</p><p>And if Dad and Steve did end up getting married, then Dad would have someone to help take care of him once Peter was gone. Dad had told Peter tons of times that he'd saved his life when he was born, and that he tolerated living in Grandpa's house only for Peter's sake. But with Steve in the picture, everything would be better. They could convince Grandpa to move to a place where he could be happier—and hopefully quit drinking for good—and then they'd be free to move into that house out on the lake that Dad had been drooling over ever since it was built.</p><p>And with Steve there, Peter wouldn't have to worry about Dad being all alone.</p><p>"Maybe it really is all gonna work out," Peter murmured into his pillow. For the first time in a long time, he was actually feeling hopeful for the future instead of dreading it.</p><p>
  <em>Who would've thought?</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Steve, I don't think combing your hair again is gonna do any good!" Bucky whined. "For the eightieth time, you look fine!"</p><p>Steve huffed, shooting Bucky a scowl as he ran his comb through his hair, trying to smooth that one stubborn cowlick into place. "It would help a lot if you'd hold the light in the right place. I can't see anything when you're shining it right in my eyes!"</p><p>"Well, maybe you shouldn't've waited till the lights were off to finish getting ready!" Bucky retorted. "C'mon, Steve, I figured you'd have a better plan than that!"</p><p>"Mmm," Steve grumbled as he moved Bucky's hand holding the light, trying to see his reflection in the mirror. "I did have a better plan, but—"</p><p>"But then you remembered that this was your first date in like, ever, and freaked out, right?" Bucky asked. He patted Steve on the back, grinning slyly. "It's okay, Steve. It happens to the best of us."</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Steve shot back. "Says the guy who was almost an hour late for his own first date, hmm?"</p><p>Bucky's eyes went wide, then narrowed. "No, I wasn't late—hold on. Did Sam really tell you I was an hour late?"</p><p>"Yeah, he did," Steve said with a smirk. "Said you got lost or something."</p><p>"Oh, then he's in for it," grumbled Bucky. "I was only late because he told me the wrong spot to meet him! I was sitting there all by myself in the dark waiting, while—"</p><p>"While he was sitting a hundred metres away all by himself in the dark," Steve finished. He reached for his aftershave, dabbing a couple drops on his cheeks and chin. "'Cept he was in the right place and you weren't."</p><p>"Oh yeah? Says who?" Bucky protested.</p><p>"Says Sam."</p><p>"But I was in the right place!" exclaimed Bucky. "It's the very same place I told you about!"</p><p>"Okay, okay, I'm sorry I brought it up!" Steve backed away from the mirror, tilting his head as he eyed himself up and down. "I guess I'm ready."</p><p>"Finally!" Bucky said as he dropped his arm holding the handlamp. "My arm wasn't gonna last much longer!"</p><p>"You're sure I look okay though?" Steve asked. He'd chosen his favourite blue t-shirt and a pair of soft, well-worn jeans since they were going to be outside on the grass, but he was already second-guessing himself. Or more like tenth-guessing, if he was honest.</p><p>"You look fine, Steve," Bucky said. "And it's dark outside, remember? I doubt that Stark is gonna be looking too closely at what jeans you're wearing."</p><p>"Tony," Steve said. "His name is Tony."</p><p>"Fine. Then I doubt <em>Tony </em>is gonna care that much about what you're wearing." said Bucky. He stepped closer, waggling his eyebrows. "Especially since there's a chance you won't be wearing anything by the time the date's over."</p><p>Steve's cheeks immediately flushed and he coughed, prompting Bucky to snort. "What, you don't think so?"</p><p>"Not on the first date, Buck!" Steve wheezed. "I'm not—I'm not—just <em>no!</em> I'd like to get to know him a bit more first!"</p><p>Bucky rolled his eyes. "Oh Stevie, you're not a kid anymore. There's no hard rule that you have to wait till the third date."</p><p>"Oh yeah? And how long did you and Sam wait?" Steve demanded, regretting the question almost as soon as it left his mouth. "Wait, you don't have to answer—"</p><p>"Actually, we waited till the third date," Bucky said, rather sheepishly. "I'd… um… I'd never been with a guy before, so—"</p><p>"Yeah, I don't need to know any more than that," Steve said. Sam was a bit older than Bucky, about five years, and while Bucky had had more dating experience Sam had definitely had more experience with actual relationships, so Steve wasn't too surprised to hear that Sam was Bucky's first.</p><p>"You and Sam have been together for what, two years now?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Over two and a half," Bucky answered, smiling widely. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Can you keep a secret?"</p><p>"You know I can, Buck."</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Bucky said with a short laugh. "Dumb question." He cleared his throat, leaning even closer. "I've—um… I've been doing some ring shopping lately. Our anniversary is coming up in about four months, and I thought… if he's been able to put up with me this long, then, you know… maybe he'd be willing to put up with me forever."</p><p>"Aww, Buck! I'm so happy for you!" Steve exclaimed as he clapped Bucky on the shoulder. "That's wonderful!"</p><p>"Eh, don't congratulate me yet," Bucky said. "Ring shopping is one thing, but actually popping the question, that's just kinda yikes. I still haven't quite worked that part out yet."</p><p>"Well, maybe once you buy the ring it'll just come to you," Steve said. He peeked at his timepiece, his belly swooping when he saw it was already 2045. "Um… I've gotta get going so… you still think I look okay?"</p><p>Again Bucky rolled his eyes. "Yes, Steve. For the eighty-first time, you look fine!"</p><p>"All right, all right, all right." Steve huffed out a sharp breath. "Here I go."</p><p>"Um…" Bucky said a few heartbeats later, poking Steve in the arm. "In order to actually 'go', you kinda have to, you know, <em>go."</em></p><p>"Yeah, I know. But are you <em>sure—"</em></p><p>"Goddamnit Steve, get the hell out of here!"</p><p>"Fine! I'm leaving!"</p><p>Grabbing the blanket he'd set aside for the picnic, Steve hurried out of his room and headed down the hallway toward the mess hall, finding the usual array of sandwiches, bags of chips, and fruit that were the typical diet staples of the evening and overnight patrol crews.</p><p>And sometimes the midnight snacks for an extra-hungry test pilot.</p><p>After filling a paper bag with two of just about everything, Steve made his way in the direction of the X-302 hangar, where Tony's office was only about a hundred or so paces away. His heart started to thud as he rounded the corner and saw the strip of light under Tony's door, wondering if Tony had been able to break away from work and see Peter that afternoon. Steve had asked Colonel Phillips to try and ensure that Tony was able to leave on time to visit Peter at least a couple times per week, and Steve had already noticed a change in both Tony and Peter because of it. Peter especially looked better than he had in days when Steve had visited him the day before, and he'd noticed that Tony seemed to be a bit less stressed as well.</p><p>Both of which made him very happy. Because despite his best efforts to tell himself to tread slowly, he was already so protective of both of the Starks that it scared him.</p><p>He paused once he was outside Tony's door, breathing in deeply through his nose a few times just like he had the night before when he'd asked Tony for the date. It was embarrassing how long he had stood out there trying to work up the courage to actually knock on the door.</p><p>No wonder Bucky was nervous about proposing to Sam. Piloting an experimental aircraft was nothing compared to trying to ask someone you liked out.</p><p>He checked his timepiece again. 2058.</p><p>Close enough.</p><p>Holding his breath, Steve raised his hand and knocked three times on the door, stepping back when he heard Tony's approaching footsteps.</p><p>"Hey!" he said, or more like gasped when Tony opened the door, too stunned to say anything else. If Steve had thought Tony was handsome before he looked even more amazing now, dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and dark grey pants that almost perfectly matched the frames of his glasses.</p><p>"Hey," he said again, smiling tentatively. "Tony, you—you look amazing!"</p><p>"Yeah?" Tony said, and Steve was relieved to hear the slight quiver in his voice, grateful he wasn't the only one who was nervous. "You clean up pretty nice there yourself, Captain."</p><p>"Steve," Steve said as his smile grew wider. "Unless you'd like for me to keep calling you Mr Stark."</p><p>"No, no, let's not do that," Tony said with an emphatic shake of his head. "No need to be emphasising the Stark part."</p><p>A flash of sympathy shot through Steve. He supposed if his own father had carried as much notoriety as Tony's then he wouldn't particularly like his last name either.</p><p>"Well, all right then, Tony," said Steve. "Shall we head outside?"</p><p>The corners of Tony's lips quirked into a smile. "Yeah. I think we shall."</p><p>Steve offered Tony his arm once he'd locked his office door, trying and failing to ignore the warmth spreading across his chest as they made their way outside and headed towards the ball field. The night was beautifully clear, the air crisp and cool and the stars shining brightly as Steve spread the blanket out on a flat stretch of ground and sat down.</p><p>"I… uh… I should've asked what you liked last night when I stopped by," he said as he spread the contents of the food bag across the centre of the blanket. "But since I didn't think of it I kinda just brought a little of everything, so I hope—I hope it's okay."</p><p>"I'm sure it's fine, Steve. I'm not that picky," Tony said. He sat down opposite Steve, crossing his legs as he selected one of the sandwiches. "I usually just end up eating whatever Rhodey brings me anyway, so…"</p><p>"Rhodey?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Colonel Rhodes," Tony explained. "We've known each other for years. He was my roommate at university."</p><p>"Ah," answered Steve, slotting that information into its appropriate mental compartment. He was familiar with Colonel Rhodes, and the accident that had left him unable to continue flying.</p><p>Yet another so-called "incident" that the Air Corps had been less than forthcoming about. All that Steve's team had been told when it happened was that it had been caused by some kind of equipment malfunction, but Steve had just so happened to be awake and reading in his barracks room on the night in question, and while he didn't exactly understand what the bright yellow beam of light was that impacted Colonel Rhodes' aircraft, it sure hadn't seemed like it was just a regular run-of-the-mill equipment malfunction.</p><p>Especially since based on the trajectory that Steve had calculated right afterwards, the yellow beam of light had originated from Meridian airspace.</p><p>"I don't know Colonel Rhodes that well, but he seems like a really good guy," said Steve. "And a fine officer."</p><p>"Yeah, he's the best," said Tony. "He always said that trying to keep me in line during our time at university was one of the hardest things he's ever done."</p><p>"Colonel Phillips said that you got two degrees while you were there?" Steve asked, selecting an orange from the pile of fruit. "And you did that in only four years?"</p><p>Tony popped a corn chip into his mouth. "Yep," he said, smiling so deviously that Steve couldn't help but smile back. Tony Stark's smile was quite possibly the most beautiful thing Steve had ever seen in his life, and right then and there he decided that he would gladly do whatever it took to keep him smiling as much as possible.</p><p>"I wanted to go for three, but the government put an ixnay on that one, so…" Tony continued. "They did at least create the thermodynamic astrophysics major for me though. Or let me create it. I pretty much taught it to myself."</p><p>"And that's what gave you the knowledge to design an aircraft that can fly into space?" Steve asked. "Astrophysics is the study of space and stars and how they relate to each other, isn't it?"</p><p>"Pretty much," said Tony, and <em>oh gods there's that smile again! </em>"There's a bit more to it than that, but you've got the basic gist of it."</p><p>"And the government knew back when you were at university that they were gonna ask you to start designing space-capable aircraft?"</p><p>Tony's smile faded a bit as he tilted his head, fiddling with the stem of an apple. "Not exactly. I… that kinda came about a bit later, but… yeah, I guess you could say that they were hoping I'd create something like that. General O'Brien and the other government leaders have been trying to come up with a way to build an orbital defence system for a long time, and when none of their guys could seem to do it to their specifications, they turned to me."</p><p>The waver was back in Tony's voice again, and Steve kicked himself for asking something that obviously hit a bit too close to home. From what Steve had been able to gather through his extensive research and from Colonel Phillips's carefully constructed non-answers, Tony had been essentially drafted by the Air Corps before he was sent to university with the express expectation that he would do whatever the government leaders asked of him.</p><p>And it got even worse for Tony after Peter was born. Based on what Steve had gleaned from Colonel Phillips, as soon as Peter was diagnosed with his heart defect the government doubled-down, ordering more and more work from Tony with the promise of eventually granting permission for the very expensive operation required to heal Peter's heart. Steve had even gone so far as to ask Sharon Carter at the hospital if she knew of any more information that might be helpful, and while she had informed Steve that she technically wasn't allowed to tell him anything, he'd been able to gather enough information asking some basic yes or no questions to corroborate his theory.</p><p>"You know I'm not really supposed to be telling you this stuff though, right?" Tony added. "So I'd kinda appreciate it if you'd keep it a secret until Colonel Phillips makes the announcement."</p><p>Steve reached for Tony's hand, relieved when Tony offered it without hesitation. <em>His hands are so much like Peter's. </em></p><p>"Don't worry, Tony," he said softly. "Your secret is safe with me." Guilt sparked in his gut, just for a second before he was able to squash it down. Steve was very adept at keeping secrets, but it didn't take a Tony Stark-level genius to figure out that keeping a big secret from someone you were trying to begin a relationship with was probably not the best idea.</p><p><em>I'll tell him about Peter soon</em>, Steve thought as he ran his thumb across Tony's knuckles, his breath hitching when Tony's fingers tightened around his.</p><p>They ended up staying outside until almost 0100, eating and chatting about various things. Steve learned that Tony's favourite colours were red and blue, his favourite animals were polar bears—which helped explain why Peter loved them as well—his favourite television show was a cartoon called Clone Wars but that he hadn't actually watched it in years, that his mother had died when he was sixteen years old after a long illness, and that he'd had a guardian of sorts named Mr Jarvis whom he had loved like a father.</p><p>And not once during their entire conversation did Tony mention Howard Stark, or the fact that he had a son.</p><p>For his part, Steve told him a few stories of his childhood as well, leaving out the fact that he'd spent most of it battling the sick lungs that he'd feared would kill him before he was twenty. Project Rebirth was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Air Corps, and Steve wasn't sure where Tony's security clearance fell or if his father had ever mentioned it to him.</p><p>He would assume not, since Howard had been so long removed from the Air Corps by the time Steve received the serum that he likely didn't even know it had been used, but since Tony had shared his Project Phoenix information with his own son, Steve couldn't be certain.</p><p>Regardless, Steve figured it was better to be safe than sorry.</p><p>"I really hate to do this," Steve said after he'd reluctantly checked his timepiece. "But I've gotta be up in a little over four hours, so—"</p><p>"And I've got another simulator session in about five hours with two of your teammates, so it's fine," Tony replied. "You're not gonna be conking out behind the stick though, are you? Isn't this a bit late for the A-shift to still be up?"</p><p>"Nah, I'm used to it," answered Steve. "I'm usually awake before dawn to go running, so…" He pushed himself up to his feet, reaching for Tony's hand once he stood up.</p><p>"Would you like me to escort you home now?" he asked as they began walking back towards the base. "I don't mind at all."</p><p>"No, thanks," Tony said quickly. "I'm… I usually just stay in my office most of the time. Much easier to work in there with the lights than it is at home where it's dark."</p><p>"Oh," Steve said, grateful for the darkness to hide his frown. No wonder Tony had been showing up for work wearing the same clothes all the time. He probably hadn't been home much since Peter's hospital admission.</p><p>Steve's heart began to thud as soon as they turned down the hallway that led to Tony's office. He very badly wanted to kiss Tony goodnight, but he didn't want to seem too pushy or forward and possibly scare him.</p><p>Then again, Bucky had been joking about he and Tony having sex after their first date so maybe just a kiss would be okay. But then again Steve had only ever kissed one other person and that had been over ten years ago and definitely not all that memorable, and Tony had a son so he was obviously more experienced in sexual matters than Steve was anyway, so—</p><p>
  <em>Oh gods… </em>
</p><p>"I had a great time tonight, Steve," Tony said as they arrived outside his office door.</p><p>"So did I," Steve said softly. He tugged on Tony's hand, turning him to face him and very grateful for the dim light to hide the blush creeping up his neck. "I'd—I'd like to… um… is it okay if—if I kiss you goodnight?"</p><p>Tony blinked, his brow furrowing just slightly. "Steve," he murmured. "You don't have to ask."</p><p>It took Steve's mind about three seconds to process the fact that Tony was actually giving him permission, during which Tony's beautiful brown eyes flicked between his own and his lips so expectantly that Steve could barely breathe. Once he finally made the connection he wound his arm around Tony's waist, drawing him closer as his other hand came up to cup his cheek.</p><p>"Yes, I do," he said just before brushing his lips tentatively across Tony's. Warmth burst across his chest as soon as their lips touched, spreading out to his arms and down his abdomen as he pulled Tony flush against him and kissed him again, his knees nearly buckling when Tony's palms glided up his back to hold him close.</p><p>"Wow," Tony whispered once they broke apart. "That was—that was—"</p><p>"When can I see you again?" Steve rasped as he pressed his forehead to Tony's. "Tomorrow night? Please?"</p><p>"Same time?" asked Tony.</p><p>"Yes," Steve said as he trailed his thumb across Tony's cheekbone. He was already dreading having to let him go. "Yes, I'll be here."</p><p>"Sounds good," Tony murmured. "I can't wait."</p><p>Smiling, Steve dipped his head to kiss him again, whispering a soft, "Thank you" against his lips. "Goodnight, Tony."</p><p>"Goodnight, Steve."</p><p>It took nearly all of Steve's force of will to detangle himself from Tony's arms and walk away, turning once more to give him a final wave before disappearing around the corner. He walked back to his barracks room on autopilot, slumping against the door as soon as it closed behind him, his entire body tingling and his mind swimming.</p><p>For all of his talk about wanting to take things slow with Tony, he now knew without a doubt that it was going to be a lot harder than he'd originally thought.</p><p>After only one date, he was already a goner.</p><hr/><p>"See, and the satellites would attach to each aircraft at the missile mounts," Tony said, pointing to the diagram that Peter had just finished the day before. "So with three aircraft available we'd be able to carry twelve total satellites."</p><p>"Ah huh," Phillips said, tapping his fingers on his desk. "And it's not gonna be any more dangerous for the pilots to be carrying four satellites each instead of two?"</p><p>"It's not ideal, but I'm kinda used to that by now," admitted Tony. "Each pilot carrying twice as many satellites means they'll have to deploy them all, which means they'll each be up there twice as long, but—"</p><p>"But you said that shouldn't be a problem," said Phillips. "That the new power sources wouldn't need to be swapped out."</p><p>"No, the vibranium cores don't burn out like the palladium ones, so that's not the issue. It's just mainly about the pilots. With only three pilots we're looking at a mission that's gonna last at least three days, where with six it'd only last about—"</p><p>"Half that time," Phillips cut in. "Yeah I get it." The colonel leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Tony, but unless something weird happens that's the best we're gonna be able to do. General O'Brien was adamant that we only convert three of the aircraft over to the vibranium cores, so…"</p><p>He trailed off, looking up at Tony. "You were right though. Based on what my source was able to find we've got over twice the amount of vibranium that's currently reported in the official records."</p><p>Tony's eyes went wide. "So there'd for sure be enough for the containment vessel?"</p><p>"More than enough," said Phillips. "And built to your new specs."</p><p>"Holy shit," Tony breathed, his eyes briefly fluttering shut. "So then you've pretty much decided that being sneaky is the only way we're gonna be able to do this."</p><p>Phillips scoffed, banging his palm on the desk. "I wish I could tell you no, Tony, but I can't. Every single damn time that I bring up even the possibility of a ceasefire or trying to begin some peace negotiations I get shot down. There's just no way that O'Brien or any of his lackeys are interested in anything that has to do with peace, so… yeah. I'm afraid this is the only way it's ever gonna happen."</p><p>Tony's shoulders dropped. "Well… that sucks."</p><p>
  <em>So much for Pete's optimism.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, it does," agreed Phillips. "But based on what you've told me this plan of yours is pretty much foolproof, isn't it?"</p><p>Tony gave a nod. "As much as I can make it so, yeah."</p><p>"Well, then so as long as we can be sure that all our ducks are in a row before the aircraft launch, I don't see a problem."</p><p>"And you've found a spot where I can work on the containment vessel?" asked Tony. "'Cause it's not gonna be needed at all if we're only doing a weapons system, which means people are gonna wonder what the hell I'm doing if they see me building it."</p><p>"I've cleared you to work down in Dr Banner's old laboratory," Phillips said. "Believe me, no one's gonna wanna go in there after what happened to him."</p><p>"No, probably not," Tony said with a wince. He'd heard plenty of rumours about the accident that had taken Bruce Banner's life, and each one was more sensational than the last.</p><p>"And Pete?" Tony asked. "What about him? Colonel, if this doesn't work and we get caught, then—"</p><p>"I'm already working on a contingency plan for your boy, Tony," Phillips said. "I'd tell you not to worry but I know that's not gonna happen, so for right now I'll just leave it at that. But I promise we're not gonna just leave him there alone where he's vulnerable."</p><p>Tears welled in Tony's eyes, trailing down his cheeks before he could stop them. "This is mostly due to him, Colonel. He's the one who developed the UI, and designed a lot of the hardware, and—"</p><p>"I know, Tony," Phillips said as he shoved a tissue into Tony's hand. "And once this works all of Langara will know his name. And yours."</p><p>Tony dabbed at his leaky eyes, sniffing. "Pete doesn't want any of that. All he wants is to live."</p><p>Whatever Phillips was going to say next was interrupted by the appearance of Carol's X-302 as it pulled into the hangar, followed closely on its tail by Steve. Tony had finished his simulator session with Major Lorne and Captain Wilson a bit earlier than usual that day, which meant that he was able to get back to the hangar in time to watch Steve disembark from his aircraft for the first time since they started dating two weeks ago.</p><p><em>There's my hot man</em>, Tony thought as he watched Steve climb down from his cockpit, tossing Tony a not-so-subtle wave over his shoulder as he headed towards his locker room. Since their first picnic date they'd been able to see each other every single night except two, and those were only because someone on the C-shift got sick and Steve volunteered to take their place.</p><p>He'd even confessed to Steve the night before that he had a son, something he'd been dreading telling him ever since their first date. But instead of freaking out like he'd expected, Steve had actually seemed excited, telling Tony that he was very much looking forward to meeting him.</p><p>And then he'd proceeded to kiss Tony breathless. Again.</p><p>In fact, Tony was fairly certain that their last three or four dates hadn't consisted of much more than two or three long makeout sessions broken up by a few minutes of snack time.</p><p>"So… how's Captain Rogers doing?" Phillips said, rather slyly. "Seems like you two have gotten to be pretty close recently."</p><p>"Huh?" Tony said, snapping his mouth closed. He had been dangerously close to drooling, not exactly something he needed Colonel Phillips to see.</p><p>"Um… are you actually asking me about my personal life, Colonel? Don't you know that's against Air Corps regulations?"</p><p>Phillips laughed. A loud, raucous laugh that Tony hadn't heard from him in… well, probably ever.</p><p>"Rogers is as good as they come, Tony," Phillips said once he'd calmed down enough to speak. "Congratulations."</p><p>"Yeah, he is," Tony said, clearing his throat. "And thanks. I… uh… think so too."</p><p>"Well, good." Phillips groaned as he pushed himself up from his chair. "Now, get out of here and get back to work. I wanna be able to present the final satellite design to the General's War Advisor next week."</p><p>"Yes, sir," Tony said. He quickly gathered up his papers, tucking them under his arm as he hurried from the hangar.</p><p>To his surprise he found Steve standing outside his office door, still wearing his sweat-plastered flight suit.</p><p>"Hey!" he said as Tony approached. "Are you all right?"</p><p>"I'm better now, hot stuff," Tony said, rising onto his tiptoes for a kiss. Then he stepped back, narrowing his eyes. "But why'd you ask me that?"</p><p>Steve's dewy cheeks flushed pink as he shifted on his feet. "In the hangar you looked like you were upset, so… I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay."</p><p>"And you could tell that from down there by the aircraft?" Tony asked. "I was over thirty metres away and half a story above you!"</p><p>"Well…" Steve said, shooting Tony his <em>aw shucks</em> smile. "I guess I have pretty good eyes. And I was looking right at you, so…"</p><p>"Oh, were you now?" Tony said, unable to hide his own smile. "Well, then I guess it's okay."</p><p>"Yes, but you're still not," Steve said as his eyebrows knitted together in what Tony had already nicknamed his worry wrinkle. "You look worried, Tony. How can I help?"</p><p>Tony huffed, wishing so badly that he could confide in Steve. But they had only been together for two weeks, and Tony wasn't quite sure if he was ready to pull him into his whole let's-take-down-the-government plan just yet.</p><p><em>Howard Stark was arrested for treason, and yet here I'm the one who's planning on committing it, </em>Tony thought. <em>Talk about irony.</em></p><p>"I'll tell you soon, okay?" he said, frowning when Steve's worry wrinkle deepened. "I promise. Just… not right now."</p><p>"All right," Steve said reluctantly. His beautiful full lips curled into a soft smile. "See you tonight?"</p><p>"Absolutely," said Tony. "Can't wait." <em>Can't wait to get my hands on that perfect body of yours.</em> While he and Steve hadn't yet moved much beyond kissing—a <em>lot</em> of kissing—Tony had spent far more than his fair share of both waking and sleeping moments imagining what Steve's beautiful body looked like underneath his clothes.</p><p>And <em>damn.</em> He was nothing short of perfection.</p><p>Perfection that for some reason seemed to really like Tony.</p><p>"Me either," Steve said. "Don't work too hard."</p><p>Tony scoffed. "Yeah, we'll see."</p><p>With a final kiss, Steve headed down the hall towards his locker room. Tony watched him go until he disappeared around the corner, then unlocked his office door and stepped inside, booting up his computer.</p><p>"Good afternoon, sir," JARVIS said once he was up and running. "How may I be of assistance?"</p><p>"Afternoon, JARVIS," Tony said as he grabbed Peter's satellite diagram and leaned back in his chair, tapping his chin. He was so tempted to just forget the whole thing. To just go forward with his original idea for the weapons system and hope that maybe someday down the line they could convince General O'Brien to see reason.</p><p>But then again, O'Brien had been in control of the country for twenty-eight years, and not once had he ever mentioned anything resembling peace. In fact, it seemed as though in recent years that he'd grown even more warmonger-like, insisting on bigger weapons, more aircraft, more soldiers and pilots, and more and more sacrifices by anyone who wasn't military. There was even the odd rumour or two that the old general was ill, starting to lose his mind, but they were so hushed that no one ever dared to say them out loud.</p><p>"Are you all right, sir?" JARVIS asked.</p><p>"Yeah, JARVIS, I'm still here," Tony replied. He sucked in a deep breath, glancing up at the clock. If he worked hard for the next two hours or so that would leave him with just enough time to get out to the hospital to see Peter for a bit before he had to be back for curfew.</p><p>"How's your inspection of the satellites coming?"</p><p>"Quite well, sir," answered JARVIS. "I have not currently found any flaws in Master Peter's design."</p><p>"That's my boy," Tony said proudly. "So you think we're ready to start running some tests on the channeling program?"</p><p>"I do believe so, sir."</p><p>"All right," Tony said. "Then let's get started."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Come and talk to me on tumblr!  I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there 😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments give me life!  Be sure to hit that kudos button and let me know what you thought!  💖</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The M rating comes into play during this chapter 😉.  Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"All right gentlemen, we're getting a bit closer to the re-entry point now," Tony said, his slightly raspy voice in Steve's ear sending warm shivers down his spine as he guided his imaginary spacecraft through its orbit. After three full weeks of rehearsing launches and entering and maintaining planetary orbits, Tony had decided that he and Bucky were ready to start learning how to re-enter the planet's atmosphere and land.</p><p>Because, as Tony had pointed out, getting up there was fairly easy. It was the coming back down that was the tricky part.</p><p>"Now the key to a smooth re-entry involves mainly two things," Tony continued. "The first rule of thumb is to not try and re-enter too soon, or prior to your go/no-go, because… well, Captain Barnes, what'll happen if you attempt to break your orbit too soon?"</p><p>"Ah, well, since we'll be moving in a parabolic orbit, breaking it too soon would mean the aircraft would be travelling through the atmosphere at too steep of an angle," replied Bucky. "Which means that the heat shield wouldn’t be aligned correctly."</p><p>"That's correct," Tony said. "All right then, Captain Rogers, why don't you tell me what'll happen if you try and come in too late?"</p><p>"Missing the go/no-go point would mean the aircraft would be in danger of skipping off the atmosphere," said Steve. "Which means—"</p><p>"Which means you'd better start looking for a place to stay for the night," Bucky said. "'Cause you aren't coming back."</p><p>"More like a place to stay forever," Tony said, rather grimly. "With a premature attempt you'd still have a chance—depending on your angle of re-entry—of surviving the trip due to the heat shield. But if you end up skipping off the atmosphere and careen off into open space, well… unfortunately, there wouldn't be much of anything we could do about it."</p><p>"There'd be no way to fire the engine and return to the orbit?" asked Steve. "It seems to me that as long as you had a fixed point of reference it should be okay."</p><p>"Theoretically, you'd think that would work," said Tony. "But the reality is that we have no way of knowing if it would since we've never done it before, and these aircraft aren't technically designed to be spacefaring. If this mission turns out to be a success then the next set of aircraft might be better designed for actual space exploration, but for the moment the X-302s are all we've got, and they were only designed to go into orbit."</p><p>"Okay, so the moral of the story is, the phrase 'better late than never' absolutely does not apply here, hmm?" said Bucky.</p><p>"No, it does not, Captain," Tony said. "If something happens and you end up missing that three second or so window, then the thing to do is not panic, just hang tight and wait for the next orbit. Since the power sources aren't in danger of cutting out you can theoretically stay up there for as many orbits as it takes to hit the window and come back."</p><p>Steve frowned slightly as he ran through the calculations Tony had taught them for predicting the go/no-go point. "But the power source wouldn't really matter while we're in orbit anyway, isn't that right, Mr Stark?" he said. "Since the orbits are being maintained by the planet's gravity and not the aircraft's power source, then—"</p><p>"Nice catch, Captain. You're absolutely right," Tony said proudly, sending another bolt of heat down Steve's spine. "Once you're actually in space the power source will only be used for deploying the satellites and hitting your re-entry window. Otherwise the planet's gravity will be doing all the heavy work for you."</p><p>"Yeah, Steve, what's wrong with you?" Bucky said, thick with sarcasm. "Everyone knows that."</p><p>"And I'm here to make sure you don't forget stuff like that, Captain," Tony said. "It's my job to try and throw you off."</p><p>"Yeah, well, good luck trying to throw off Mr Photographic Memory over there," said Bucky. "It's not fair for the rest of us mere mortals that all he has to do is read the damn books once and he's got 'em down pat."</p><p>"I'm sure Sam wouldn't mind helping you study, Buck," Steve said. He checked his orbital trajectory, gripping the stick with a firm hand as he readied his index finger over the power button. "All right. I'm coming up on the go/no-go point in five, four, three, two, one—"</p><p>As soon as the word left his mouth Steve pressed the button and immediately yanked the stick to the left, holding his breath as he waited for the master alarm to start beeping, indicating that he'd missed the window.</p><p>Only, it didn't.</p><p>"Nice job, Captain Rogers," Tony said a few seconds later. "You have successfully found your re-entry window."</p><p>Steve huffed, tipping his head back as his heart migrated from where it had lodged in his throat back down to where it belonged. Out of the entire set of mission parameters that Tony had given them, the re-entry aspect was the only part that had truly frightened him.</p><p>"Leave it to Stevie to nail it on his first try," Bucky said, not without a hint of envy. "Course you managed to distract me so much with all of your yammering that I missed my window, so I guess I'll try to catch the next one."</p><p>"That's all right, Captain Barnes," Tony said. "I honestly wasn't expecting any of you to make it on the first try."</p><p>"Yeah, well, Stevie's just exceptional that way," said Bucky. "Guess I'll see you on the flip side."</p><p>Removing his earpiece, Steve poked his head out of his simulator cockpit, smiling as he caught Tony's eye. So far, and despite Bucky's frequent teasing and innuendos, he and Tony had managed to keep things mostly professional during their simulator sessions. It had not been easy, though, especially since simply hearing Tony's soothing voice through his earpiece was often enough to get Steve aroused.</p><p>"Well, that was pretty nerve-wracking," Steve said once he'd climbed out. "You were right about the go/no-go point being the most difficult part of the mission."</p><p>Tony smiled, his gorgeous brown eyes sparkling behind his glasses as he curled his fingers over his microphone.</p><p>"That was some pretty fancy flying there, <em>Captain," </em>he said with a wink. "Glad I don't have to worry about losing you once you get up there."</p><p>Steve's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Oh, really? Does that mean Colonel Phillips has already decided on who's going?"</p><p>"Colonel Phillips? You forget that I'm the one who's reading all of your team's flight reports everyday," said Tony. His lips curled into a smirk as he added, "Phillips was gonna make the announcement by the end of the week, once everyone's gotten through at least one re-entry practise session, but right now it looks like it'll be you, Barnes, and Danvers who'll be going up on the trial mission, with Wilson as backup."</p><p>"Oh!" Steve breathed, fighting the strong urge to jump for joy. "Oh, Tony, that's—that's incredible! Does that mean we'll find out the rest of the mission parameters as well?"</p><p>Tony's shoulders dropped, glancing furtively at Bucky's simulator. "Well… that's kind of a long story, hon, so…"</p><p>"No, that's okay. You don't have to tell me," Steve said. He'd learned pretty quickly once he and Tony started dating that Tony's clearance level regarding certain things was even higher than his, and the last thing he wanted was to possibly get Tony into trouble for divulging things he wasn't supposed to.</p><p>"Thanks," Tony whispered, and Steve's throat tightened. Clearance or not, it bothered Steve that Tony felt he had to constantly thank him for showing him what he considered basic kindness and respect.</p><p>"You don't have to thank me for wanting to be with you," he'd told Tony just the night before, while walking him back to his office after their date. As soon as he'd said it, Tony had dropped his eyes and started fidgeting on his feet, two things that Steve had noticed Tony often did when he was feeling insecure.</p><p>"I know," Tony had said softly. "I'm just…"</p><p>"You're exactly who I want to be with," Steve had reassured him. "And I don't care what anyone says."</p><p>"That's 'cause you're the big brave Captain," Tony had said, giving Steve one of those quirky smiles of his that he loved. Then he'd tilted his head, giving Steve such a perfect example of eager bedroom eyes that it had taken all of Steve's strength to kiss him one final time and say goodnight.</p><p>And then he'd proceeded to lie awake for over half the night, kicking himself for not inviting Tony to spend the night with him.</p><p>Not that he didn't want to take Tony to bed. On the contrary, it was starting to get ridiculous just how often Steve's thoughts were bombarded with images of Tony lying naked beneath him as he explored every little dip and curve of his glorious body, the sounds he'd make from those beautiful lips and the way his eyes would squeeze tight with pleasure. He'd gotten just a touch of that the previous night when their hands had starting wandering a bit more than usual during one of their intense makeout sessions, but so far Tony was allowing Steve to set the pace for their physical relationship, and as much as he hated to admit it, Steve was still pretty nervous about taking that next step.</p><p>He had even sucked it up and asked Bucky for some advice a few days ago. Thankfully, Bucky had picked up on Steve's nervousness and kept his needling to a minimum, answering Steve's questions with a mostly-straight face and even offering to pick him up some necessary supplies. Steve had thanked him but declined the offer, because really, if he wasn't ready to buy lube and condoms by himself then he probably wasn't ready to have sex. But then, just the previous morning he'd returned from his run to find a small paper sack sitting on the floor outside the door to his room. Apparently Bucky was getting just as impatient for Steve to finally have sex as Steve was.</p><p>And now, knowing that he <em>could</em> bring Tony to bed at any given time only made not doing so that much worse.</p><p>The fact that there were still a few pretty heavy secrets between him and Tony wasn't helping matters. Unfortunately, Steve couldn't seem to figure out a way to bring up the fact that he had met and gotten to know Peter before he'd even met Tony that didn't sound stalkerish or otherwise creepy. Tony had already told Steve all about his son, including his name and the fact that he was in the hospital, so Steve really had no more excuses for not telling him besides his own fear.</p><p>But for someone who was used to risking his life pretty much every single day, somehow confessing to Tony the truth about knowing his son scared Steve badly. Almost as much as the thought of losing Tony.</p><p>It didn't help that even Peter himself had asked Steve very seriously if he truly liked his father or if he was just someone he was looking to fool around with. Steve had practically bent over backwards to reassure Peter that he wasn't the fleeting type, that he'd always been afraid of dating and relationships before he met Tony, and now that they were together he had absolutely no intentions of doing anything to mess it up.</p><p>He'd even gone so far as to tell Peter that he was in love with Tony, something he hadn't even managed to say to Tony yet.</p><p>"You are?" Peter had asked, as the biggest smile Steve had ever seen spread across his sweet face. "You really love him?"</p><p>"I do," Steve had said as he placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. "And I love you as well. You're like the son I never thought I'd get to have, and I am so lucky that I got to meet you."</p><p>"Okay, so then you gotta promise me that you're gonna tell him," Peter had stated. "Dad doesn't like secrets and he's really overprotective of me, so please don't wait too much longer."</p><p>"I won't, little guy. I promise."</p><p>And yet, here Steve was, still trying to work up the courage to tell Tony something that he probably should've told him weeks ago.</p><p>Steve was jolted back to reality by the blaring sound of a master alarm, indicating that Bucky had missed his go/no-point and was now sailing off into open space.</p><p>"Goddamnit!" Bucky exclaimed through Tony's headset. "I thought for sure that I had it!"</p><p>"It's all right, Captain Barnes," Tony said, shooting a wink in Steve's direction. "Like I said, I didn't expect any of you to make it on the first try." He checked over his controls, his tongue peeking between his lips like it often did when he was concentrating. "Looks like you were only zero point three seconds off, Captain, so it should be an easy fix."</p><p>"Yeah, I think I hesitated just a bit too long on the stick," said Bucky. "Better luck next time."</p><p>"You're more than welcome to try it again if you'd like," said Tony. "We've still got some time."</p><p>"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."</p><p>A second later the door to Bucky's simulator popped open and he poked his head out, eyeing Steve and Tony with an air of barely-concealed suspicious mirth as he climbed out.</p><p>"Ya coming, Stevie?" he said, smirking. "I'm sure Mr Stark has other things to do besides sit around here while you stare at him."</p><p>"Bucky!" Steve admonished, looking helplessly at Tony. "I'm so sorry, I don't—"</p><p>"It's fine, Captain," Tony said, even as his cheeks flushed pink. "Captain Barnes is correct though, so if it's all right with you gentlemen, I'll see you next time."</p><p>"Sure thing," Bucky said as Steve tugged on his arm, practically dragging him towards the exit. "See ya, Mr Stark."</p><p>"Bucky, you can't be saying stuff like that!" Steve said as they made their way to the locker room. "I can't risk Tony getting into trouble just because you can't seem to resist trying to tease us!"</p><p>"Oh come on, Steve!" Bucky said. "In trouble with who? It's not like everyone else doesn't already know what's going on between you two!"</p><p>Steve shook his head, frowning. "Yeah, but still—wait, what? Who's everyone?"</p><p>"The team," answered Bucky. "And Colonel Phillips."</p><p>"Oh no," Steve groaned as he grabbed his shampoo and soap out of his locker. "You really think Phillips has it figured out too?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>"How?"</p><p>Bucky rolled his eyes, elbowing Steve hard in the side before disappearing into his shower stall. "You know how I've told you at least a thousand times that your poker face absolutely sucks?"</p><p>"Well… yeah…" Steve said. That was no exageration, he really did stink at poker. "But I don't understand what that has to do with Tony."</p><p>"'Cause the second he shows up you get that dreamy ga-ga look on your face," Bucky said, rather matter-of-factly. "You know, the look that you may as well be broadcasting throughout the entire base?"</p><p>Steve grimaced as he lathered up his hair. "Oh gods, I do? How obvious is it?"</p><p>"Pretty obvious, Steve," Bucky said. "Obvious enough for everyone on the team to have figured it out. And Phillips."</p><p>"Well, that's… unfortunate," said Steve. "You don't think Tony will get into trouble, do you?"</p><p>"Nah. If Phillips had a problem with it I'm sure he'd say something. He's never been known to keep things like that to himself before."</p><p>"No, that's true, but—"</p><p>"And none of the team has a problem with it either," Bucky said firmly. "In fact, Carol came right out and said that if anyone said anything about either you or Tony that she didn't like, she'd kick their ass. And you know Mitchell and Lorne are scared of her so they're not gonna try anything, and you know Sam won't either, so… it's fine, Steve. No need to worry about it."</p><p>"Okay, but… Carol actually said that?" Steve asked, kicking himself for sounding so stupid. "When?"</p><p>"Ah, a couple days ago?" replied Bucky. "At the bar? You weren't there, you were out 'clearing your head' or whatever again, which is why we were all sitting around talking about you."</p><p>Steve shot him a frown over the wall of his shower stall. "Well, that's comforting. Do you guys always sit around and talk about me when I'm not there?"</p><p>"Yeah, pretty much."</p><p>"Bucky—!"</p><p>"I'm just kidding, Steve!" Bucky said. "C'mon, you know me better than that."</p><p>"Yeah, I do," Steve said with a sigh. "Sorry."</p><p>"Eh, it's okay. You got that stuff I left for you yesterday morning though, right?"</p><p>Steve gasped, managing to inhale a soap bubble which immediately caused him to choke.</p><p>"I'll take that as a yes," Bucky said once Steve had finally stopped coughing. "Gods, Steve, you've really gotta quit trying to choke yourself to death every single time I bring that stuff up!"</p><p>"Yeah, well, maybe that should be a clue that you shouldn't anymore!" Steve wheezed, swiping the tears from his eyes as he cleared his throat. "I do appreciate it, though."</p><p>"Good. Now once you decide that you're ready you won't have any more excuses."</p><p>Steve was quiet as he towelled off and got dressed, contemplating if he should ask Bucky the question that had been rolling around in his mind ever since he'd found the paper sack outside his door.</p><p>"You mind if I ask you something?" he finally said as he sat down to tie his shoes.</p><p>"Shoot."</p><p>"When did you realise that Sam was… was the one?" Steve asked, biting his lip.</p><p>Bucky paused, his right foot halfway into his shoe as he breathed in and looked at Steve. "If I'm honest? Pretty much right after our first date."</p><p>"Really?" Steve said. "That soon?"</p><p>"Yeah," Bucky said, shrugging. "I mean, you even know that I was over an hour late to meet him 'cause I got the spot wrong, and well… not everyone would've been as understanding about it as he was, so… And then, he’s just so… <em>good</em> to me. And he's hotter than hell, too, I mean, that much is obvious, but… I dunno, it's kinda hard to explain. I just… <em>knew.</em> Does that make any sense?"</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said with a rather emphatic nod. "It makes perfect sense."</p><p>"You thinking Tony's the one for you?" Bucky asked, quirking an eyebrow.</p><p>Steve instantly smiled. "Yeah, I do. I just… I didn't know if maybe I'm trying to push things too fast or something. I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing." <em>And it's probably too late to take it back now anyway since I already told Peter the same thing.</em></p><p>"I don't think experience really matters here, Stevie," said Bucky. "If you know, you know. It's really that simple. You might wanna mention it to your ma one of these days though."</p><p>"Yeah, I know." Steve had even checked in on his ma just the previous afternoon after leaving the hospital with the intention of telling her all about Tony, only to spend the entire hour or so he was there trying to fix a broken door on one of her kitchen cabinets.</p><p>"I'm just not sure how well she's gonna take it. I mean, he's a Stark for one thing, and you know how she feels about Howard Stark. And she's always wanted grandchildren, so…"</p><p>Bucky shot Steve a questioning look. "Okay, but I thought Tony had a son?"</p><p>"Yeah, he does," Steve said, frowning. "But how do you know that?"</p><p>"Uhh, I thought everyone knew?" Bucky said, confused. "It's not like it's a bad thing."</p><p>"No, of course it isn't, but… I just don't think Tony would appreciate people talking about him is all." <em>And neither do I.</em></p><p>"No one's been talking about the kid, Steve, I promise," Bucky said as he finished tying his shoes. "It's just something we all just kinda found out after he started working with us, but none of us know his name or how old he is or anything."</p><p>"Oh. Well, that's good, but still—"</p><p>"Have you met him yet?" Bucky asked. "Tony's kid?"</p><p>
  <em>Oh gods… </em>
</p><p>"I have, actually, but I'd really, <em>really </em>appreciate it if you didn't mention him around anyone else, and that includes Tony," said Steve. "At least not for awhile. There's… a lot of mitigating circumstances with him that I know Tony doesn't want being talked about around the base."</p><p>Bucky's brow furrowed. "C'mon, Steve, why would I do that? Especially about a kid?"</p><p>"You wouldn't," Steve said quickly. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply anything. Tony's just really protective of his son, and… I kinda am too."</p><p>"Nothing wrong with protecting a kid," Bucky said as they exited the locker room. "I had plenty of practise protecting you, didn't I?"</p><p>"Yeah, you did. Say, speaking of kids, has Sam been out to see Riley's wife and son recently? Just wondering how they're doing."</p><p>"Oh yeah, we both went out there just the other day," replied Bucky. "Erin's doing okay. The kid keeps her pretty busy, I guess he's starting to pull up on the furniture now? She said she barely gets a chance to sit down with how active he is, so that's probably a good thing."</p><p>Steve's eyebrows knitted together. "So she's still at home with him?"</p><p>"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't she be?"</p><p>"I just figured that she'd've gotten a job already," said Steve. "She's gotta make a living now, doesn't she?"</p><p>Bucky shrugged. "As far as I know she's on the widow's compensation fund since her husband was killed in action."</p><p>"Okay, but…" Steve bit his lip. None of that made any sense. "Bucky, my ma was an Air Corps widow too, and she told me she was forced to get a job only a month after I was born or we would've been evicted from the house. Was that compensation fund around back then too?"</p><p>"I don't know, Steve. Things were a bit different back then, so maybe it's a newer thing?" said Bucky. "I'm sure your ma would know if you asked her."</p><p>"Mmm," muttered Steve. Asking his ma questions about either money or Howard Stark was usually a recipe for disaster. "Yeah, I guess. I just… those kinds of conversations don't ever go over very well."</p><p>"Well, I don't know what else to tell you," Bucky said as he got to his feet. "I guess I'll see you at dinner?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'll be there."</p><p>Steve watched him go, dropping his head into his hands once he was done. He'd been planning on visiting Peter that afternoon, but since they had finished their simulator session a bit early he figured that Tony would be in a hurry to complete his own work so he could get out and visit Peter before curfew started, and he didn't want to risk running into Tony at the hospital.</p><p>"That would definitely not be the best place to have that conversation," he muttered to himself. He let out a heavy sigh, raking a hand through his still-damp hair. He had thought about asking Tony if he could take him out to the hospital one night and visit with Peter then, but that seemed more like an end-around to his problem instead of a real solution, and Steve had never been comfortable with end-arounds. It always seemed too much like cheating.</p><p>He just needed to get it out in the open, which meant telling Tony the truth and then hoping for the best. Based on what Peter had told him it seemed as though Tony felt the same way about him as he did about Tony, so maybe once Steve finally talked to him about it everything would be fine.</p><p><em>I sure hope so</em>, Steve thought. As often as he used the "going for a drive" as an excuse for his afternoon disappearances it had been a pretty long time since he'd actually just gone for a drive, and there was a pretty nice lake not too far from the base that Steve had been thinking about heading to for awhile anyway.</p><p>Grabbing his leather jacket, sketchbook, and pencil from his locker, Steve headed out the door towards the parking lot. About twenty minutes later he was at the lake and resting on the bank, looking out at the sunbeams bouncing off of the lightly rippling water as his mind conjured up a picture of him and Peter sitting in a fishing boat while he taught Peter how to fish, something Steve had always wished he'd been able to do with his own father. Bucky's father had taken him and Bucky out fishing a few times when they were little, as often as Steve could stand to be outside with his sick lungs, at least, but it still wasn't quite the same.</p><p><em>Let's not get ahead of ourselves, </em>Steve thought as he began a rough sketch of the nice log cabin sitting about twenty-five metres away.</p><p>
  <em>Gotta take things one step at a time.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Peter's pencil flipped rapidly around his thumb as he studied his drawing of the big backyard tree, his tongue poking out between his teeth as he added the goofy crooked branch that'd always stuck out about five feet up from the ground.</p><p>"There," he whispered as he leaned back against his pillows. He had been barely able to jump up and reach that branch before he'd gotten too sick to play outside anymore, which meant it was probably a bit less crooked now than it had been since he was no longer messing with it.</p><p>Satisfied with the drawing—for the moment, at least—Peter flipped towards the front of the notebook, rereading the code lines he'd finished writing after Grandpa had left for the afternoon. He had been adding bits and pieces of information to JARVIS' code ever since Dad had told him that he'd gotten him uploaded, and he was hoping to give these latest upgrades to Dad before the extra-atmospheric test missions began. Dad had told Peter that Steve had gotten the highest scores of his entire team during the simulations, which meant that he and two others would be heading out on one of their trial missions soon. And while Peter knew that Steve was really smart and could no doubt perform the complex calculations that he'd need to do on an actual mission, if he could figure out how to have JARVIS monitor the calculations for him and his two teammates, Peter thought that would be even better.</p><p>Taking as much of the possibility of human error out of the equation as possible would only make things better, and Peter wanted to do whatever he could to make sure that Steve was able to get home safely.</p><p>Now that he and Dad had him, he didn't want to risk losing him.</p><p>A smile stretched across Peter's lips as he thought about how much happier and more relaxed Dad had been lately. He had even stopped most of his grumbling about Grandpa, something that would've never been possible before Steve came along.</p><p>And then Steve had even confessed to Peter that he was in love with Dad, and that he'd grown to love Peter like a son, and Peter was positive that if his busted-up heart had actually had the ability to swell that it would have. He had told Steve that he believed Dad was in love with him as well, based on how lovesick and goofy he'd been acting lately, so as long as nothing too stupid came along and tried to wreck anything, it really seemed that everything was going to be fine.</p><p>The planet was going to be saved and Dad was going to be okay. The two goals that Peter had set out to accomplish before he ran out of time were, at least for the moment, both going to happen.</p><p>It really couldn't get any better than that.</p><p>Setting his notebook down on his lap, Peter sucked in a raggedy breath and closed his eyes. He'd skipped his usual early afternoon snooze that day in the hopes that Steve would show up, but by the time he'd decided that Steve wasn't coming it was almost dinnertime, which meant that if Dad was going to visit it would be within the next half an hour or so. Peter was still looking forward to the time when Dad and Steve could show up together, maybe even sometime after curfew since Steve could act as Dad's military escort. Steve had promised Peter that he was going to tell Dad about his visits soon and Peter believed him, but he wasn't going to bug him about it. Grandpa had bugged and poked and prodded Dad about just about everything while Peter was little, and after watching their already sucky relationship deteriorate even further as he got sicker and sicker, Peter was determined never to do that to Dad.</p><p>And now that Steve was pretty much his second dad, Peter wasn't going to do it to him either.</p><p>And he definitely wasn't going to say <em>anything </em>about what he'd overhead the doctor saying earlier that day. Absolutely nothing at all.</p><p>It was stupid, really, just how many people seemed to think that since Peter was only eleven—<em>actually almost twelve, thank you very much—</em>that he either couldn't understand or didn't care about what the adults were saying at any given time. The fact that he'd been out of school for so long only added to that stereotype, which meant that Peter had overheard people talking about a lot of things that he really had no business listening to.</p><p>But, really. It's not like he was just going to turn his ears off whenever the medical people started gossiping about him or his family, and especially not while they were discussing Peter's condition right in front of him. Even after Ms Sharon had asked the doctor to be quieter he'd still insisted on spouting off to the medical student he'd had shadowing him, no doubt trying to show off.</p><p>Not that it was anything new. All the doctor had done was reinforce what Peter already knew anyway.</p><p>A rough hand carefully brushing the hair from his forehead woke him, and he blinked his eyes open to find Dad looking down at him.</p><p>"Sorry buddy, I wasn't trying to wake you up," he murmured, guilt shadowing his eyes. "I was just gonna kiss you goodbye."</p><p>"Oh no," Peter croaked as he tried to push himself up, rubbing at his eyes. "Why do you have to leave, didn't you just get here?"</p><p>"No, I've been here about a half hour," Dad said. "You just looked so cute laying there that I didn't want to wake you."</p><p>Peter wrinkled his nose. "I'm almost twelve, Dad. I'm pretty sure I'm past the cute stage already."</p><p>"And I'm pretty sure that you're not allowed to be the judge of that particular attribute," Dad stated. "Now, I only have about ten or so minutes before I have to be out of here, so why don't you bullet point for me every exciting thing that happened today before I go, yeah?"</p><p>"Okay," Peter said, grinning. He opened his notebook, showing Dad the code he'd written earlier that day. "How 'bout I tell you about how I figured out how to program JARVIS to monitor the X-302s while they're on their space missions?"</p><p>Dad's eyes went wide behind his glasses. "You did?"</p><p>"Yep," Peter said proudly. "Including orbital maintenance and calculating the go/no-go points, so if it works, it should pretty much eliminate the possibility of human error."</p><p>"As long as the computer systems in the X-302s can handle the extra block of coding," Dad said excitedly. "Which they should since I specifically left extra room inside the aircraft's mainframe just in case I needed to add more information to the guidance systems, but since none of the pilots are gonna need the extra help with guidance then there should be plenty of room, so—gods, Pete, you are <em>brilliant!"</em></p><p>"As long as it works," Peter reminded him. "But if it doesn't work JARVIS should be able to tell you as soon as you test it out."</p><p>"Oh yeah, like it's not gonna work," Dad said, giving Peter a darn good rendition of his <em>duh </em>look. "I'm pretty sure I can't remember the last thing you tried that didn't work."</p><p>Peter shrugged as he tore the pages from his notebook, handing them to Dad. "So, how's Steve doing?"</p><p>Dad instantly smiled. "Ah, he's good, bud," he said. "He's… it's kinda funny, you know? I mean the guy looks like the epitome of every single Air Corps stereotype that exists and then some, but in reality he's nothing like any of 'em. And the fact that he's drop-dead gorgeous doesn't hurt at all."</p><p>"Well, as long as he makes you happy, Dad," said Peter. "And I don't need any details about how he does it, just in case you were wondering."</p><p>"He does, buddy. And I'm hoping I'll be able to bring him by here soon and introduce him to you. He says he's really looking forward to meeting you, and he's even told me that he likes to draw."</p><p>"Really?" Peter said, feigning surprise. "That's so cool!"</p><p>"Yep. And not exactly something you'd think a pilot would be into, right?"</p><p>"No. I always figured they'd be interested in more macho-type stuff."</p><p>"Well, he does play baseball too, and he drives a motorcycle," said Dad. "And he goes out for a run every single morning, which I still don't understand how anyone can find that appealing, but hey, it'd probably be like freaky scary if he was too perfect, don't you think?"</p><p>"Uh huh." Peter rubbed at his nose, hating himself for having to lie to his own father. "Do you think you'll ever introduce him to Grandpa?"</p><p>The smile dropped from Dad's face like a rock. "Not if I can help it, Pete. Not like I need his permission for anything."</p><p>"No, Dad, I didn't mean it like that." Peter must've been more tired than he realised to bring up Grandpa when Dad was in such a good mood. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't've mentioned him."</p><p>"As long as you like Steve and get along with him, I'm good," Dad added. "Yours is the only opinion that I care about."</p><p>"Yeah," Peter whispered. "I can't wait." He glanced out his window, noticing that the sun was already dipping below the treeline in the distance. "It's gonna be dark soon, Dad."</p><p>"Yeah, bud, I know," Dad said with a sigh. He leaned forward, smoothing the hair from Peter's forehead before planting a kiss there. "I love you, buddy. You just keep on hanging in there, okay? It's all gonna work out."</p><p>Peter gave a nod, blinking back tears. "Yeah. Have fun on your date."</p><p>"Thanks, bud. Sleep well, yeah?"</p><p>"Uh huh. Love you."</p><p>A knot rose in Peter's throat as he watched his father exit his room, slumping back against his pillows as soon as the door closed behind him. Dad hadn't sounded that optimistic about anything in months, and Peter knew him well enough to know that he hadn't just said what he'd said for his own benefit.</p><p>He had actually <em>believed</em> it.</p><p>"Then I'm absolutely not gonna tell him," Peter murmured as he tried to get comfortable. He knew he still had to get up to pee and brush his teeth, but he also knew that the amount of pity he'd see in Ms Sharon's eyes would be positively smothering, so he thought he'd just wait a few minutes first.</p><p>Psyche himself up, so to speak.</p><p>'Cause it was one thing for him to know that he was going to die soon. Peter had come to grips with that ever since he'd been admitted to the hospital.</p><p>It was another thing to discover that he was going to die not because he was too far gone to save, but because there was no one who could actually save him.</p><hr/><p>The first thing Tony noticed when he opened his office door was that somehow, Steve had managed to become even more handsome than he'd been just earlier that day. Dressed in a blue t-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and exactly matched his eyes and those perfectly worn jeans that showed off his magnificent ass to perfection, he was quite literally a living, breathing wet dream standing right there in the hallway.</p><p>The second thing he noticed was the massive food bag tucked under Steve's arm, one that Tony couldn't help but notice smelled exactly like his absolute favourite dish from his absolute favourite restaurant in the whole entire world.</p><p>The restaurant he hadn't been able to eat at since Mr Jarvis died.</p><p>"Hey there, handsome," he said as he greeted his boyfriend—<em>holy shit, I actually have a boyfriend!—</em>with a quick kiss. "Not to be too forward or anything, but… what'cha got in the bag?"</p><p>Steve smiled, that wide, crinkly-eyed smile that made Tony so weak in the knees it would've been embarrassing as hell if Steve had had anything that resembled an ego. But somehow—and Tony had yet to figure out exactly <em>how, </em>damnit—the man seemed to be completely oblivious to his effect on people.</p><p>Besides Tony, of course. It had only taken Steve a few days to figure out just how much he could affect Tony with only a quick smile as he climbed down from his aircraft cockpit.</p><p>And when he just happened to sneak in one of his sly winks, <em>gods.</em> Then all bets were off.</p><p>"Well…" Steve said as his smile grew even deeper, revealing the dimple in his right cheek—and oh gods, that <em>dimple!</em> If Tony had been a poet he could've written sonnets about that dimple. "I <em>might've </em>stopped by that place you told me about just before they closed for curfew, and I <em>might've </em>used just a bit of my influence as an Air Corps pilot to ask them very nicely if they wouldn't mind cooking something for me."</p><p>"Only a bit of your influence?" Tony asked, his stomach already growling at the delicious smell. "Only a bit?"</p><p>"Yes, only a bit," answered Steve. He shrugged slightly, giving Tony his <em>aw shucks</em> look. "And about a fifty percent tip. That didn't hurt either."</p><p>Tony's heart fluttered. The restaurant in question was not cheap by any standards, and to add a fifty percent tip on top of the cost was…</p><p>Well, it was something Steve would do. Apparently he really was flawless.</p><p>"Well, let's not let it get cold then, hmm?" Tony said as he took Steve's arm, curling his fingers around his elbow. Steve, Tony had learned, was quite old-fashioned, always insisting on opening doors for Tony and offering him his arm like he'd seen Howard do for his mother a few times way back when. He'd finally stopped asking Tony if it was okay to kiss him after Tony had insisted they were way beyond that point, that if for some unknown reason he ever didn't want Steve to kiss him or hold his hand or something that he would let him know. Steve had told Tony a few times that he didn't have a lot of dating experience, which Tony still didn't understand because, hello? Shoulders? Arms? Blue eyes?</p><p>That <em>dimple?</em></p><p>Anyway. Whoever had missed out on Steve before was now shit out of luck because Tony was not planning on giving him up anytime soon.</p><p>Or ever, if he was truly honest.</p><p>They set up their picnic blanket in their usual spot. Tony licked his lips as he watched Steve take out the platters of pasta and seasoned bread, nearly vibrating with anticipation. He had even brought a bottle of wine, which nearly brought Tony to tears once he opened it and handed Tony his glass.</p><p>"To us," he said as he clinked his glass against Tony's, so sincerely that Tony could only nod as he took his sip, literally at a loss for words. After Peter was born Tony had gone on a handful of dates, none of which ever led anywhere, but then once Peter was diagnosed with his heart problem Tony immediately threw all of his energy into making sure that Peter stayed as healthy as possible, leaving very little time for anything else.</p><p>And, he'd also found that he hadn't really missed it.</p><p>Not until Steve came along.</p><p>It seemed like something out of a cheesy rom-com, but it seemed like as soon as he met Steve, everything in Tony's life started to look up. Peter was as stable as he could be, his work was going far better than he ever could've anticipated, and with the additions to the JARVIS program that Peter kept coming up with it was looking more and more like his plan for Project Phoenix was going to go off without a hitch, therefore bringing an end to over seven decades of war.</p><p>"Hey," Steve said as he handed Tony his plate. "You're being awfully quiet, are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said quickly, huffing when Steve raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm fine. Actually more than fine. Just… trying to take it all in, is all."</p><p>"Okay," Steve said softly. "But you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"</p><p>"Oh sure," said Tony. "But since you're still perfect, I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen."</p><p>Steve smiled as he tore off a piece of his bread, dipping it into the rich tomato sauce in the pasta. "I'm not perfect, Tony."</p><p>"Well, I'd beg to differ, which is probably not something you're ever gonna want to actually see, so… I'd recommend not arguing with me about your level of perfection and just accept the fact that you are. For everyone's sake."</p><p>Steve laughed, his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling in the dim light of the moon. <em>Says who you aren't perfect?</em></p><p>"All right," he said. He popped the bread into his mouth, his eyes closing briefly as he chewed. "This really is delicious."</p><p>"See? I told you," Tony said as he took a bite of the pasta, which was every bit as good as he remembered. "Mr Jarvis was never wrong."</p><p>"I wish I could've met him," said Steve. "He sounds like he was pretty remarkable."</p><p>"Yeah, he was the best," Tony said, not without a hint of melancholy. "And he would've adored you."</p><p>"Oh, you think so?" asked Steve.</p><p>"Oh yeah," Tony said emphatically. "Oh, he would've had you work for it, of course. Had you stand at attention while he walked around you, checking you out like a drill sergeant, making sure you were worthy enough to be allowed to date me. But once he decided that you were okay he would've become like your best friend. As long as you continued to behave."</p><p>"I see,” Steve said, rather mischievously.  “And if I didn't?"</p><p>"Then he would've given you such an ostentatious tongue-lashing that you probably would've been too afraid to ever show your face around me again," Tony said, nodding when Steve's eyes went wide. "And you think I'm joking? I actually watched him do it not once, but three separate times!"</p><p>"No, no, I don't think you're joking," said Steve. "I'm just really glad I wasn't one of those people."</p><p>"Ah, well, like I said. He would've loved you."</p><p>
  <em>Like I do.</em>
</p><p>The thought came zooming out of nowhere, and Tony froze, trying to stuff it back down into the deep recesses of his mind before realising that it was like trying to stuff a piece of popped popcorn back into its kernel.</p><p>Impossible.</p><p>It was true, though. As much as it still kinda—<em>okay, maybe a bit more than kinda—</em>frightened him, Tony couldn't deny it any longer. He'd fallen in love with Steve.</p><p>And instead of the mental freakout that he would've expected after such a groundbreaking revelation, Tony only felt peace.</p><p>This—<em>Steve</em>—was good for him.</p><p>"Were you able to get away and visit your son today?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Yep," answered Tony after another mouthful of pasta. "He says 'hi', by the way."</p><p>"And he's doing okay? Getting better?"</p><p>"Yeah, he's hanging in there," said Tony. "He's tough as nails, that kid, even if he doesn't look it. He's gonna pull through."</p><p>"Well, he's got a pretty good example for a father," Steve said as he reached for Tony's hand.</p><p>"Mmm, maybe," Tony said. "I can't wait for you to meet him. He's impossible not to love, so you guys are gonna get along great."</p><p>Steve brought Tony's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. "I can't wait."</p><p>It wasn't easy to eat pasta and seasoned bread with only one hand, but Tony managed, finishing off his entire plate as he and Steve talked. It was yet another thing that fascinated him about Steve, he was just so easy to talk to. He listened without any hint of impatience or boredom, never tried to interrupt, and always asked such relevant and interesting questions that proved that he wasn't just giving Tony lip-service, he actually seemed to care about what he was saying.</p><p>He cared about <em>him.</em> Because if there was anything about Steve that Tony might've considered a flaw, it was the fact that the man seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeve. And judging by what Tony often saw in those blue eyes he could quite literally get lost in, Steve honestly cared about him.</p><p>Maybe even <em>loved </em>him.</p><p>"Do you want anything else?" Steve asked once they'd polished off all the food and the entire bottle of wine. "I'm pretty sure there's a couple of mints floating around the bottom of the bag somewhere."</p><p>"No, thanks," Tony said as he set down his empty glass, ignoring it when it tipped over onto the blanket. Then he cupped Steve's face in his hand, angling it down so he could reach his lips.</p><p>Just because he'd stuffed himself with food didn't mean that he wasn't still hungry.</p><p>The kiss started out slow, like they usually did. Tony had been letting Steve set the pace for their physical activities since he'd confessed to Tony that he wasn't very experienced, and the benefits had definitely outweighed the sometimes painful reality of waiting until he felt comfortable with going further. Just like he did with everything else, Steve kissed Tony with his whole heart and soul, and what he lacked in experience he more than made up for in passion and zeal. It was a kind of a first of sorts for Tony as well, who had always just thought of kissing as a stepping stone to sex, and had never before taken the time to just thoroughly explore someone else's mouth without the pressure or expectation of going further.</p><p>On this night, though, Steve seemed to be almost as impatient as Tony, pulling him flush against him as his tongue slipped between Tony's lips to taste him. Tony whimpered as their tongues stroked together, the hints of tomato sauce, garlic and wine mixing in with the inherent flavour of Steve more intoxicating than any whisky or drug had ever been.</p><p>"<em>Steve,"</em> Tony rasped as Steve broke away from his mouth to trail kisses down his jaw to his neck, sucking on the lightly stubbled skin of his pulse point. Tony's fingers worked themselves into Steve's thick blond hair as his hands slid down Tony's sides to his ass, lifting him to straddle his lap.</p><p>"Steve!" Tony moaned, far too loudly as Steve's long fingers curled around his ass, holding him in place as he rolled his hips up. A guttural groan tore from Steve's throat as he kissed his way back to Tony's mouth, his fingers kneading Tony's ass as though it was dough for bread.</p><p>"You feel so good, Tony," he murmured as he trailed soft kisses all over Tony's cheeks and jaw, each sending bolts of pleasure throughout his body. "So hard to keep my eyes off you, so hard to keep my hands away. I don't—I don't want to let you go, I don't—"</p><p>He paused, pulling back so abruptly that Tony's belly swooped in fear. "Tony," he said as he pressed his forehead to his. "Tony, I—I've gotta—I want to tell you—" He broke off, frowning slightly as he pressed another hard kiss to Tony's lips. "I—I love you, Tony. I'm—I'm in love with you, and I want—I want to ask you if… Will you—will you come to my bed with me tonight?"</p><p>Tony's chest was heaving, his entire body flashing with current as he looked up into Steve's eyes, nearly blown black and so filled with unabashed adoration that his heart nearly stopped.</p><p>Steve <em>loved </em>him. Tony could see it spelled out so clearly that it may as well have been tattooed across his forehead.</p><p>
  <em>Ho-ly shit.</em>
</p><p>"We don't—we don't have to do anything," Steve said, obviously mistaking Tony's silence for hesitation. "I just… I'd love to be able to hold you while I sleep."</p><p>"Do we have to?" Tony asked, mentally kicking himself a second later when Steve flinched. "No, no, honey, that's not what I meant. I mean, do we have to <em>not</em> do anything? 'Cause I've gotta admit I'm more than a bit ready to—"</p><p>"I want everything," Steve breathed as he drew Tony impossibly closer. "I want to do everything with you. I—I love you, and I want you, and—"</p><p>Tony silenced him with another kiss, brushing his thumbs across Steve's perfectly sculpted cheekbones. "Say no more, honey. Just show me the way."</p><p>It was almost funny how quickly he and Steve shot to their feet, nearly tripping over each other in their mad scramble to pack up their picnic items and race over to the barracks. As soon as they reached the building, Steve grabbed Tony around the waist, peppering his face and neck with kisses as he fumbled for his ID badge to unlock the door.</p><p>"This isn't—it's not really very nice," Steve murmured as he unlocked the door to his room, leading Tony inside. Since the barracks were considered a nonessential section of the base the whole building was dark, the moonlight shining through the window the only thing illuminating the rather small but extremely tidy room. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf stood against the cement-block wall opposite the double bed, with a small bedside table, a footlocker, and a narrow door that led to what Tony assumed was the sink and toilet over in the opposite corner.</p><p>"It's just a standard barracks room," added Steve, once again mistaking Tony's silence for hesitation. "I—"</p><p>"Shh," Tony said as he trailed his fingers across Steve's full lips. "Steve, I've been stuck living in my father's house my whole life, so this—" he glanced quickly around the room, also noticing that Steve had hung a few of what looked like his own drawings on the walls. "This… this is perfect. <em>You're </em>perfect."</p><p>"I'm not," Steve whispered. He wound his arms around Tony's waist, his blue eyes sweeping across his face. "I just—I just want you. Here. With me."</p><p>"Then you've got me," Tony said as he glided his palms up Steve's strong arms to his shoulders. "And it sure as hell beats sleeping in my office, so—"</p><p>He was cut off by Steve's mouth claiming his, urgent and demanding as he slid his hands down Tony's ass to his thighs, lifting him into his arms as if he weighed practically nothing. Before Tony realised what was happening Steve had carried him over to the bed, sitting down on the edge as he plundered Tony's mouth with his tongue, his hands rucking Tony's shirt out from his waistband to slip underneath.</p><p>"Tony," Steve gasped into his mouth, his arms tightening around him as he flipped around to lay Tony down on the bed, pulling off his shoes before crawling up to hover over him. "Tony, I—"</p><p>"I love you too," Tony blurted out, his teeth catching hard on his bottom lip as he watched about a thousand reactions cross Steve's beautiful face in about three seconds. "Just—just in case you were wondering. And I've—I've never said that to anyone except my son, so—"</p><p>Steve's lips twitched, his eyebrows knitting together as he gently removed Tony's glasses, setting them on the bedside table.</p><p>"I've never said it to anyone," he whispered. "I've never felt it for anyone. Just you."</p><p>Tony gulped, the intensity in Steve's blue eyes so profound that he almost couldn't look at him. No one had ever looked at Tony like that before, like he'd literally hung the moon, and it was more than a little frightening.</p><p>"Can I make love to you?" Steve asked, low and breathless. "Please?"</p><p>"Hopefully not just once," Tony said as he curled his hands around Steve's shoulders, tugging him down so he could kiss him, his need to get Steve out of his clothes nearly all-consuming. As Steve's lips kissed across his neck and down to his collarbones, Tony slipped his hands underneath Steve's tight blue t-shirt, making a thoroughly embarrassing noise as his fingers found Steve's skin.</p><p>It was just as incredible as he had imagined.</p><p>"Wanna see you," he whispered as he tugged impatiently on the shirt. Steve took the hint, reaching behind him to tug the shirt off over his head, tossing it onto the floor. Tony's breath hitched as his hands roamed freely across the soft skin and hard muscle of Steve's pecs, brushing his thumbs lightly across his nipples.</p><p>"Oh, you like that?" Tony said, grinning when Steve let out a full-body shiver.</p><p>"Yes," Steve rasped, shuddering even harder when Tony did it again. "Tony!"</p><p>"It's okay, babe, I've got you," Tony said as he took Steve's face in his hands, kissing a path to his ear. "How fast can you get it up again?"</p><p>Steve let out a groan that was so loud and wanton that it sent shivers of hot pleasure rippling through Tony's body. "Uhh, pretty—pretty fast. I… um…"</p><p>"Perfect," Tony whispered. He tapped Steve's shoulder twice. "Roll onto your back for me, yeah?"</p><p>With a nod, Steve flipped them so Tony was on top, straddling his hips as his lips trailed across Steve's pecs, pausing to flick his tongue across both of Steve's nipples as he slid his hand down his sternum to his rock-hard abs.</p><p>"How 'bout I suck you off first, hmm?" he murmured into Steve's ear. "Take the edge off a bit?"</p><p>"Oh gods, Tony," Steve groaned. He bit down so hard on his bottom lip that Tony winced. "You don't—you don't have to, but—"</p><p>"But would you like me to?" Tony asked.</p><p>Steve nodded. "Yes. I'd—I'd <em>really—</em>yes, please. I want."</p><p>Tony smiled as he kissed his way back up to Steve's mouth. "Then just lie back and enjoy yourself, okay? I'm gonna take good care of you."</p><p>Taking his time, Tony explored and kissed all across Steve's glorious chest and abs, finally popping the button on his jeans when he felt Steve's fingertips digging into his shoulders. He licked his lips as he slid Steve's pants and underwear down his legs, pausing for a second to take him in.</p><p>"Damn, honey," he said, completely awestruck. "You're just fucking <em>gorgeous!"</em></p><p>"<em>Tony!"</em> Steve said on a gasp as Tony trailed his fingers up the inside of his thigh to curl around his cock, lying flush against his abdomen. Steve hissed, his back arching up off the bed as Tony began to stroke him, his lips teasing the sensitive skin of his thighs and pelvis.</p><p>"Just try and relax, honey," he murmured as he pressed open-mouthed kisses all along Steve's length before finally taking as much of him as he could into his mouth. Steve let out another guttural puff of air as he started to move, his fingers weaving into Tony's hair to massage his scalp. It'd been over a decade since Tony had given someone a blowjob, and his jaw seemed to have lost all of its muscle memory, but from the way Steve was gasping and panting above him he didn't seem to care.</p><p>In fact, as Tony stole a quick glance up at him, he was quite certain that he'd never seen a more exquisite sight than Steve's beautiful face twisted in pleasure.</p><p>"Tony, Tony, <em>Tony!</em> I'm so close, you've gotta—" Steve mumbled, tugging on Tony's hair as Tony slid his hand under Steve's ass, squeezing it as he hummed around him, nearly coming undone himself at Steve's sharp cry of pleasure as he came, flooding Tony's mouth.</p><p>Tony wasn't sure how much time had passed before Steve finally moved again, his fingers still curled into Tony's hair as Tony dotted his hip and side with kisses.</p><p>"Like that, babe?" he whispered as he pressed another kiss to Steve's hipbone and climbed back up his body, feeling quite self-satisfied. Steve huffed as he curled his arms around Tony and rolled them over, dipping his head to kiss him.</p><p>"Wasn't it obvious?" he rasped as he settled into the cradle of Tony's legs, sliding his t-shirt up his abdomen. "I wanna see you now."</p><p>Tony was in such a haze of want that he didn't even think about what Steve might find under his shirt until he'd already slipped it over his head. As soon as Steve tossed it onto the floor the worry wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows, his calloused fingertips gently tracing the faint scar bisecting the centre of Tony's chest.</p><p>"Does it hurt?" he softly asked, his blue eyes radiating sympathy and something else that Tony couldn't quite decipher.</p><p>"No," said Tony, fighting the urge to look away. Since the room was almost completely dark the fact that Steve could even see the scar at all was surprising, but Tony wasn't going to ruin the mood by trying to figure out why.</p><p>"When?" Steve asked.</p><p>"I was six," Tony said. "I had a heart defect."</p><p>"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he settled himself over Tony, gently kissing his way down the scar. "Tell me what you want, sweetheart. Tell me how I can make you feel good."</p><p>"Steve, I just want you," Tony murmured as Steve fiddled with the button and zipper on his pants. "All of you."</p><p>"You have me," Steve said. "All of me."</p><p>It had been so long since Tony had been intimate with anyone that he'd almost forgotten what it was like, but none of those former encounters could at all compare to the care and intimacy that Steve showed him. With his initial franticness satiated by Tony's blowjob, Steve took his sweet time with him, kissing and nibbling and caressing across almost the entirety of Tony's body, leaving him a panting, writhing mess by the time he finally grabbed a bottle of lube from his bedside table, slicked up his index finger, and slowly pressed it inside him.</p><p>"<em>Steve," </em>Tony breathed as Steve carefully worked him open, going from one finger to two as he pressed kisses to every available bit of flesh he could reach. "Steve, baby, I'm ready. Please, please, please, please, please—"</p><p>"No. Not gonna hurt you," Steve murmured into Tony's hip as he spread his fingers wider, finding that spot inside him that had him seeing stars. "Need to make sure you're ready."</p><p>"You're not gonna hurt me, honey," Tony pleaded, nearly growling in frustration. "Please, I need you right the hell—"</p><p>He was cut off as Steve added a third finger, his hands clutching the sheets in a white-knuckled grip. "Baby, <em>please!</em> I need you inside me!"</p><p>"You're sure?" Steve asked as he withdrew his fingers.</p><p>Instead of answering Tony reached for his shoulders, pulling him down for a deep, sloppy kiss.</p><p>"I'm ready. I promise."</p><p>Tucking a pillow under Tony's hips, Steve reached next for a condom, with Tony stopping his hand before he could tear it open.</p><p>"It's been years since I've been with anyone," he said. "And since you said that you've never… I was thinking maybe we don't have to—"</p><p>"I'm okay with that as long as you are," said Steve, brushing his lips across Tony's in a soft kiss. Then he hooked Tony's legs over his hips and lined himself up, his eyes trained on Tony's face as he slowly pushed inside him.</p><p>And holy <em>shit</em> did it feel amazing. Steve was not only inside him he was all around him, their bodies and souls joined together so perfectly that tears sprang to Tony's eyes.</p><p>"Okay?" Steve asked once he was fully sheathed, his eyes squeezing closed when Tony nodded, his arms shaking where they bracketed Tony's head. "Oh gods, Tony, you feel <em>incredible!"</em></p><p>"Steve… baby, please move," Tony whimpered as he wiggled his hips, pulling a strangled gasp from Steve's throat. He was so full that he felt as though he might split in two, but yet he also felt <em>complete,</em> as though Steve was a piece of him that he didn't know he'd been missing until he found him.</p><p>That plus the fact that the moonlight shining against Steve's glistening skin made him one of the most beautiful things Tony had ever seen almost made him climax right then and there, and he wasn't ready for it to be over just yet.</p><p>Finally, just as Tony let out another pleading whimper Steve began to move, his lips brushing all across Tony's forehead and cheeks as his fingers skimmed down Tony's arm to intertwine with his, pressing their joined hands into the mattress. Tony's eyes fluttered closed as Steve's lips found a particularly sensitive spot on Tony's collarbone, sucking a mark into his skin as he snapped his hips forward with a loud groan.</p><p>"Oh fuck, Steve, you're so good," Tony moaned. He was <em>so</em> close, and he'd never been able to come untouched before. "So fucking good, baby, you're too good to me."</p><p>"Tony," Steve whispered as he slipped his free hand between their bodies, wrapping his fingers around Tony's erection as his thrusts began to stutter. "Oh gods, Tony, I'm gonna—!"</p><p>"Oh shit, baby," Tony groaned as he clenched down hard around Steve, his fingernails digging into the hard muscles of Steve's shoulder. "I can't—I'm gonna—<em>fuck!"</em></p><p>They came so closely together it was impossible for Tony to tell who was first, but the next thing he knew his body was being bombarded with such intense pleasure that he actually thought he blacked out for a second or two, finally regaining some feeling in his limbs when he realised that Steve had collapsed half on top of him, his breaths sharp puffs of air against Tony's sweat-dampened skin.</p><p>"Thank you, sweetheart," Steve murmured as he lifted his head, pressing a soft kiss to Tony's lips. "That was… unbelievable!"</p><p>"Mmm," Tony mumbled, almost too relaxed to form words. "You're one to talk, honey."</p><p>Tony was almost asleep by the time Steve pulled out of him, pecking his lips one final time before rising from the bed and heading for his tiny bathroom. He returned a couple minutes later with a warm cloth, gently cleaning the sweat and come from Tony's body. Then he slipped into the bed next to him and gathered him into his arms, tucking Tony's head under his chin. Tony had never been much for cuddling after sex. He'd never even spent the entire night with someone, preferring to sneak out in the wee hours of the night and risk being caught out after curfew than face the awkwardness of waking up next to someone that he'd just as soon never have to see again.</p><p>But that was all a long time ago, and things were very different now.</p><p><em>He </em>was different now.</p><p>Now he was with Steve, and if Tony had his way, he'd never have to let go of Steve again.</p><p>So he simply burrowed closer, smiling contentedly as Steve kissed his forehead.</p><p>"Sleep well, Tony," Steve whispered. "I love you."</p><p>"Mmm," murmured Tony. "Love you too."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments give me life!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me your thoughts!  💖</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The faintest hints of light from the rising sun were just starting to peek over the horizon when Tony woke from the deepest sleep he'd had in months. He groaned softly as he shifted, burrowing further into the cocoon of Steve's arms, a soft smile quirking the corners of his lips as Steve instinctively cuddled him closer.</p><p>The big hotshot pilot was not only hotter than hell, he was also a master cuddler. And that happened to suit Tony just fine.</p><p>He was just on the verge of sleep again when a sudden piercing noise blared through the otherwise silent room. Tony startled, bolting upright on the bed before he even realised what he was doing.</p><p>"What the hell?" he gasped, his heart thudding madly as he glanced around the room, attempting to search for the offensive item so he could pitch it against the wall or something. A second later Steve raised his arm from where it was draped across Tony's waist and proceeded to whack the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table with such accurate precision that Tony's jaw dropped open.</p><p>"Hey," Steve said softly as he propped himself up on his elbow, pressing his palm to Tony's chest as the worry wrinkle formed between his perfect eyebrows. "I can hear your heart thumping, are you okay?"</p><p>"Huh?" Tony said, too momentarily distracted by how fucking <em>good </em>Steve somehow managed to look at such a godawful hour to remember what he was going to say. How was it possible for him to be that hot so early in the morning, especially when Tony was certain that he resembled little more than a semi-human brillo pad?</p><p>"Your heart, Tony," Steve said, his tongue poking out to wet his perfect pink lips. "It sounds like it's racing, are you all right?"</p><p>"You—" Tony started, shaking his head to try and clear it. "You can <em>hear </em>it?"</p><p>Steve let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah. I… uh… I have pretty good ears." He tucked Tony close, laying them both back down onto the pillows. "Did my alarm clock startle you? I'm sorry if it did."</p><p>Tony breathed in, squeezing his eyes closed as he burrowed his nose into Steve's neck. The man even still smelled incredible—musky and masculine with a faint hint of what Tony identified as vanilla, a scent he'd always loved—which was more than he could probably say for himself. Especially given all of their activities over the course of the night.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess it did. It sounded—ah, it sounded a lot like one of my son's monitors, and I guess—"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Steve whispered, pressing a kiss to Tony's forehead. "I can get a different clock if that would help."</p><p>"Steve, you don't have to replace your alarm clock just because of me," Tony said. "It's not that big of a deal."</p><p>"It is to me." Steve slid his fingers underneath Tony's chin, tilting his head up to meet his eyes. "I want you to feel comfortable here, Tony, so if there's something you need in order to feel more at home then I hope you'll let me know."</p><p>"Uhh," Tony stammered, unable to tear his eyes away from Steve's. Was there anything that he didn't think of?</p><p>
  <em>He wants me to feel at home. In his room. With him.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah," he finally whispered. "Okay." He cleared his throat, tucking his head back under Steve's chin. "But that confounded noise doesn't mean that you have to get up or something now, does it?"</p><p>"Actually, it does," Steve answered, not without a hint of regret. "It's time for me to go for my run."</p><p>"Hmph," Tony scoffed, tightening his grip. "You can skip one day, can't you?"</p><p>"I wish I could," Steve said, his expression so downtrodden that Tony had no choice but to believe him. "But since I'm flying patrols today I'd rather not. A hard run helps me focus, and after last night," he paused to press a firm kiss to Tony's lips, "I think I'm going to need the extra help."</p><p>"Well, we wouldn't want the hotshot Captain to lose his focus now, would we," Tony said with a wink, even as he cupped Steve's cheek in his hand and kissed him again, forgetting all about the fact that he hadn't brushed his teeth or anything and probably had morning breath from hell. But Steve didn't seem to mind—or was just too polite to say anything—as he wound his arms around Tony and rolled so he was on top of him.</p><p>But then he broke away, giving Tony an apologetic smile as he kissed the tip of his nose. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I really need to get going. But I'd love it if you stayed here till I got back. I'm sure you're not usually up this early, are you?"</p><p>"Uhh, no." Tony honestly didn't have a specific time that he woke up since he was usually just passed out in his office anyway. "Simulator sessions don't start for another two hours, so…"</p><p>"Then why don't you try and get some more sleep, and I'll see you when I get back, hmm?" Steve asked, flashing that million-credit smile that never failed to cause Tony's heart to flutter.</p><p>"Don't think I could say no to that if I tried," Tony murmured. He slid his hands up Steve's back to his shoulders, rolling his hips up to meet Steve's. They were both hard, and despite the fact that he'd already gotten off three times in the last seven or so hours, Tony was more than ready to go again.</p><p>"But are you really sure that you have to go? Like, <em>really </em>sure?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow into what he hoped was a pleading look rather than whiny. He shimmied his hand down between their bodies to curl around Steve's cock, the loud moan that rumbled up from Steve's chest sending a ripple of pleasure down Tony's spine. "Seems like you could use a hand here or something, so…"</p><p>"You're incorrigible," Steve rasped as he claimed Tony's mouth, sweeping his tongue between his lips. "But if you hold that thought for when I get back, I might just take you up on it. Okay?"</p><p>"Mmm, fine," Tony said with a pout. "But I am gonna hold you to it, so be prepared."</p><p>Steve smiled as he brushed his lips across Tony's. "I can't wait."</p><p>Reluctantly, Tony released him, a soft smile playing on his lips as he watched Steve rise from the bed, the muscles in his back and shoulders flexing deliciously as he dressed in his running clothes.</p><p>
  <em>Damn. It's like he doesn't even know how hot he really is.</em>
</p><p>"There's a toothbrush and razor for you by the sink," Steve said once he'd finished tying his shoes. He sat down on the bed, trailing his fingers along Tony's jawline. "And I'll bring back some breakfast for you too, okay?"</p><p>"Okay, but then you'd better put a lid on it for a while," said Tony. "'Cause if you're still trying to convince me that you're not perfect, well… I hate to tell you this, <em>Captain,</em> but it's not working. Like, not at <em>all."</em></p><p>Steve smiled, his blue eyes twinkling in the barely-there light as he leaned down to kiss him. "I'll see you soon."</p><p>"'Kay."</p><p>As soon as the door closed behind him Tony flopped onto his side, grabbing Steve's pillow and tucking it to his chest so he could breathe in more of his intoxicating scent. It was still a bit difficult for Tony to wrap his mind around the fact that he'd woken up in another man's bedroom—and a <em>pilot's</em> bedroom, at that—and not had the urge to run screaming from it as soon as he came to his senses.</p><p>Which, if he was being completely honest, he wasn't quite sure if he <em>had</em> completely regained his senses, but that, Tony decided, was currently beside the point.</p><p>The truth was, the blaring alarm clock aside, Tony had felt none of the usual awkwardness he'd always had when disentangling after sex, none of the panic he'd always felt when anyone had tried to get too close to him in the past, and, despite the fact that Steve was built like a literal god, none of the self-consciousness that he'd expected to feel during their sexual activities. While Tony knew that he wasn't exactly anything to sneeze at physically, he also knew there was no way he could compare to someone like Steve. But either Steve hadn't noticed or just didn't care, because over the course of their three lovemaking sessions during the night, Steve had showered Tony with more affection and passion than Tony had ever experienced ever in his life. Tony had always thought that he was a generous lover, but for someone who'd been as inexperienced as Steve had said he was, he was definitely a quick learner.</p><p>And Tony had been more than willing to reap the benefits of Steve's education.</p><p>Closing his eyes, Tony buried his nose further into Steve's pillow, trying to relax enough to fall asleep again. He was a bit sore and sticky from all of their sexual calisthenics over the course of the night, but it was the good kind of sore, like what one would expect after a hard workout. Warmth bloomed across his chest as he recalled the way Steve's hands and lips had caressed his skin, and the husky sound of his voice as he demanded for Tony to look into his eyes.</p><p>"<em>Look at me, Tony," </em>he'd said, his eyes so lust-blown that the blue was barely visible. "<em>Look at me, sweetheart. I love you. I love you so much!"</em></p><p>Steve loved him, and he loved Steve. And while he hadn't exactly meant to blurt out that little factoid in the heat of the moment like he had, after Steve's earnest confession Tony just hadn't been able to contain it any longer. Somehow, in only a few short weeks, Steve had managed to tear down all of the iron walls that Tony had so carefully constructed around his heart in the years since Peter's birth. Tony had resigned himself to being alone ever since Peter's heart diagnosis, and for the most part he had been okay with it. He had been fine with pouring everything that he had into his son because he had to ensure that someday Peter would be able to get the operation that he so desperately needed.</p><p>Peter was Tony's whole life. There was no way Tony would be able to survive without him.</p><p>Especially since it was his fault that Peter was sick in the first place.</p><p>Through all of the intervening years, Tony had never even considered the possibility that he might actually fall in love with someone, and even less so the possibility that that someone would be so thrilled about Tony having a son. Working up the nerve to tell Steve about Peter—and especially the fact that he was sick—had been one of the most difficult things Tony had ever experienced in his life, and when Steve didn't even blink, when his face didn't give away a single hint of trepidation and instead he expressed how excited he was to meet Peter, that was the first moment when Tony realised that he had truly fallen in love with him.</p><p>As for how many moments there had been since then, well, Tony was certain that he'd lost count a long time ago. And while that realisation was a bit overwhelming—and even more than a bit, if Tony was honest with himself—it was also liberating. It was, in a word, <em>peaceful,</em> and after growing up in a country that hadn't seen peace in over seventy years, Tony found that he was now craving it with every single cell of his body.</p><p><em>Not too much longer, </em>he thought as he breathed in another deep breath, trying to saturate his senses with as much of Steve's essence as he could. With how well the simulator sessions were proceeding, Tony was certain that Phillips would announce the trial missions within the next few days, and once those were completed and successful and Tony managed to build the containment vessel for the tesseract… hopefully everything would be fine.</p><p>Of course, they still needed to actually get their hands on the tesseract, and Phillips still needed to inform the pilots that the mission they'd be undertaking would be placing them at very high risk for getting arrested for treason if something went wrong, but at the moment Tony didn't feel like thinking about all that. He was planning to program Peter's latest upgrades to JARVIS once the day's simulator sessions were complete, and as long as those worked—which they would, of that Tony had no doubt—then the pilots carrying out Project Phoenix would be as well-protected and well-prepared as Tony and Colonel Phillips could get them.</p><p>And then, all Tony would be able to do would be to step back and let the chips fall, hoping like hell that they fell the right way.</p><p>Surprisingly, Tony managed to doze off for about thirty or so minutes, waking only once the sun began to rise in earnest, sending bright beams of sunlight across Steve's perfectly organised room. Tony groaned, raising his arms above his head to stretch before reluctantly deciding to concede defeat in the argument with his very full bladder and get up from the bed.</p><p>Throwing the sheets back, Tony's eyes widened as he noticed that they were torn in a couple of spots. He'd heard what he'd thought was a ripping sound while he was giving Steve his initial blowjob the night before, but since his brain had turned to mush pretty much right afterwards he hadn't given it too much thought since then.</p><p><em>Strong boy, </em>Tony thought fondly.</p><p>Grabbing Steve's discarded t-shirt from the night before, Tony slipped it over his head before padding over to the tiny half-bathroom to pee and brush his teeth. Next to the sink sat a brand-new toothbrush and razor still in their respective packages, just as Steve had told him, and Tony couldn't help but smile as he helped himself to some of his man's toothpaste and shaving cream as he tried to make himself at least a little more presentable before Steve came back.</p><p>"Eh, guess it's not too bad," Tony said to his reflection once he was done. He'd try to squeeze in a shower later, once the simulator sessions were done and before he headed out to visit Peter. The cadets' locker room was usually pretty quiet during that time of day.</p><p>There were still about ten minutes remaining before he expected Steve, so Tony decided to crawl back into the bed, propping the pillows behind him before reaching for his glasses that were resting on the bedside table, on top of what looked like a sketchbook. With a rather wry grin, Tony picked up the sketchbook and began flipping through it, noting that Steve seemed to be just as talented at drawing as Peter, something that Tony hadn't thought was possible.</p><p>Steve also seemed to love being outside, judging by the various drawings in his book, yet another thing he had in common with Peter. There were several drawings of various trees and flowers, a couple of the ballfield where they'd had most of their picnics, a few of the X-301 and X-302 aircrafts, and one portrait of an older woman whom Tony guessed was Steve's mother. Tony's smile widened as he pictured the two of them sitting there on the bank of that lake that he loved, their two heads bent towards the other as they sketched whatever caught their fancy while he worked on whatever project caught his.</p><p>He had just turned the page a bit beyond halfway through the book when a particular drawing caught his eye, one of a bird perched on the side of a large nest while three small chicks poked their heads out, eagerly awaiting the fat worm caught in the mother bird's beak. As he studied it Tony's heart began to thud, his belly swooping violently as he realised where he'd seen it before.</p><p>There were a few minor differences, but other than the smaller size and slightly different shading patterns on the mother bird's wings, it was almost an exact carbon copy of the drawing that Tony had tacked to the corkboard in his office, behind his computer. The drawing that Peter had given him.</p><p>Which could only mean that—</p><p>"Oh fucking <em>hell!"</em> Tony rushed out as about a thousand different emotions began warring inside his mind and body, leaving him so nauseous and dizzy that for a moment he felt as though he might actually pass out. With shaking hands he dropped the sketchbook onto the bed like a hot potato, his legs nearly tangling in the sheets in his frantic attempt to get to his feet.</p><p>Steve had <em>lied </em>to him. The whole entire thing had just been one gigantic lie, and like a complete and utter <em>fool </em>Tony had fallen for it. Hook, line, and sinker.</p><p>No wonder Steve had told Tony so many times that he couldn't wait to meet Peter. It was because he'd already <em>met</em> him.</p><p>
  <em>How could I have been such a goddamn fool?</em>
</p><p>Not only was the Air Corps holding Tony hostage with their ridiculous demands on his time and intellect, they were also apparently sending their pilots in to stalk and harass his boy.</p><p>"Oh gods," Tony murmured as he scrabbled with Steve's t-shirt, finally ripping it over his head and launching it across the room. He searched the floor for his clothes, finally locating them halfway under the bed and nearly tipping over in his haste to snatch them up. His chest was so tight he could barely breathe, his limbs barely functional as he tried to push his legs into his pants and locate the fucking arm holes on his shirt, not even caring as he jammed his feet into his shoes that in his haze of betrayal and rage he'd managed put the damn thing on backwards.</p><p>All Tony could think about was that he had to get out of there, somehow had to get Peter out of that godforsaken hospital and somewhere else, where he could be safe. He'd heard various reports over the years of a few people who'd managed to defect over to Meridia, so maybe somehow he and Peter could—</p><p>The sound of an electronic lock clicking open stopped Tony in his tracks, and he looked over at the door in a panic as Steve stepped inside, obviously fresh from the shower and carrying a loaded tray of food.</p><p>"Hey," he said, the smile dropping from his face as his eyes swept across Tony. "Tony? Is something wrong?"</p><p>Tony could only shake his head, his tongue refusing to cooperate as he pointed an accusing finger at Steve, who immediately set down the tray, hurt and confusion marring his blue eyes.</p><p><em>Damn those fucking blue eyes!</em> Tony screamed inside his head. <em>Damn every single part of him to hell! Oh gods, how could I have been such a goddamn idiot?</em></p><p>"Tony?" Steve said as he took a step towards Tony, halting in his tracks when Tony immediately backed away. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"</p><p>"You!" Tony finally choked out, bumping into the bed and nearly falling backwards. He sucked in a deep, shaky breath as he righted himself, his heart threatening to pound right out of his chest. "What in the goddamn <em>hell </em>have you done to my son?"</p><p>"Tony, I haven't done anything! I swear it!" Steve exclaimed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped. He took another step towards Tony, halting again when Tony raised his palm.</p><p>"Don't!" Tony yelped. "Don't you dare come near me! Just tell me what you've done to my son!"</p><p>"Tony, I swear I don't know what you're talking—!" Steve broke off as his eyes flicked over to the abandoned sketchbook. Almost instantly his shoulders sagged, his cheeks completely draining of colour as he squeezed his eyes closed, shaking his head.</p><p>"Tony," he said, low and tight. "I'm not—I don't—please, Tony, it's not what you think."</p><p>"Oh, it's not?" Tony snapped, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "It's <em>not?</em> Then why don't you fucking enlighten me on what the hell it <em>is</em>, because from what I can tell this whole goddamn thing has just been one massive setup!"</p><p>"Tony—" Steve started.</p><p>"No, wait," Tony cut in. "You know what, on second thought I don't really give a damn what you think." He sucked in another shaky breath, shivering like someone had dumped an entire bucket of ice down his back. "I just can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for it all."</p><p>"Tony, <em>please!"</em> Steve begged, his blue eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Please, I'm begging you, just give me one minute to explain. If you still want to leave after that I'll understand, but please, just let me tell you the truth. Please?"</p><p>Tony pursed his lips, wrapping his arms around his front in a vain attempt to get himself to stop shaking. He knew he should refuse, just walk out of that room and never look back. It's what a strong person would do.</p><p>But Steve had told Tony that he was in love with him, and Tony had told Steve the same. And despite his nearly crushing anger and hurt, he still was.</p><p>
  <em>I am such a goddamn sentimental fool.</em>
</p><p>"All right, Steve," he said, so quietly he was surprised that Steve even heard him. "You have exactly one minute."</p><p>"Oh, thank you!" Steve said in obvious relief. He cleared his throat, his eyes flicking briefly to the sketchbook before focusing in on Tony.</p><p>"One of the things I've always enjoyed doing in my downtime is visiting some of the sick kids in the hospital," Steve began in a wobbly voice. "Since I thought I'd never have any kids of my own, it's been kinda my way of pretending that I can be a father for a couple hours a week. I went to the hospital the afternoon after Peter was admitted expecting to see another little boy, but when the nurse told me that he'd been discharged she suggested that I visit with Peter instead. That was the day before the very first class that you taught on the X-302s."</p><p>"Okay, so… you met Pete <em>before </em>me?" Tony demanded. "And yet you still didn't say—"</p><p>"I didn't know who he was then, Tony," said Steve. "I never learned the last names of the kids that I visited with, it's against hospital policy. I just knew him as Peter."</p><p>"Uh huh?" Tony prompted. "And?"</p><p>"And we got to know each other. He wasn't impressed at all that I was a pilot. He almost seemed repulsed by it, actually, so—"</p><p>"That's 'cause he's too damn smart to be impressed by something like that," Tony muttered.</p><p>"But then he told me that he liked to draw, so…" Steve's arms flopped to his sides, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. "It'd been a pretty long time since anyone had been impressed with the fact that I can draw, and I—well… I guess I liked it. And he's just so sweet, Tony. He's the sweetest kid I've ever met, and—"</p><p>"I don't need you to tell me that," Tony said quietly. "I know my own kid, thank you."</p><p>"I know you do, Tony, and Peter, he loves you so much," said Steve. "He was so sad at first when you could never get away in time to visit him and it was breaking my heart, so once I figured out who he was I asked—"</p><p>"And how did you go about doing that, exactly?" asked Tony, crossing his arms. "I thought your stupid Air Corps anti-gossip rule was supposed to prevent that kind of thing?"</p><p>"Well… I might've managed to figure it out because I realised I was falling in love with you," Steve said, rushing his words. He took another tentative step forward, his expression so earnest and pleading that Tony's heart lurched. "I asked Colonel Phillips to try and make sure that you were able to leave in time to visit with Peter, and when I saw how much happier you both were because of it, I just—it made me really happy."</p><p>"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me?" The adrenaline coursing through Tony's veins was starting to wane, seeping from his body in spades and leaving him feeling like a wrung-out washcloth.</p><p>Steve shook his head, shrugging. "I was scared," he admitted. "Once I realised that he was your son I just panicked because I thought you'd get upset if you knew that I was visiting with him when you couldn't. I know how protective you are with him, and with his condition I didn't want to do anything that might upset either of you."</p><p>"So you decided to lie to me instead?" Tony said, scowling. "And force my own son to lie to me for you? Did you even stop to think about what you were doing to Pete?"</p><p>"Of course I did! Tony—"</p><p>"Oh, really? And how's that feeling now, huh?"</p><p>Steve dropped his chin to his chest, heaving a heavy sigh.</p><p>"It feels horrible."</p><p>"Yeah? Well, good!" Tony barked, just as a few of Steve's earlier words finally fought through the fog filling his mind. "Hold on, you told Colonel Phillips? About me? And Pete?"</p><p>"Well, Phillips already seemed to know about Peter, and—"</p><p>"Yeah, he's known about Pete since he was tiny, but that doesn't explain why—"</p><p>"Phillips knows how I feel about you, Tony," Steve stated. "I told him."</p><p>Tony's jaw dropped open. "You <em>told </em>him? You told <em>Phillips?"</em></p><p>"Well, it's more like Phillips asked me a few rather pointed questions that I answered, but yeah." A rueful smile quirked the corners of Steve's lips. "I've been told that it's pretty much impossible for me to hide what I'm feeling, so… it didn't take him long to figure it out. My entire team knows too, my friend Bucky told me."</p><p>"Bucky," said Tony. "That's Captain Barnes, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. He's been my best friend for my entire life," Steve said. "He's the one who pushed me to ask you out."</p><p>"Oh." Tony huffed out a sharp breath, slumping heavily onto the bed. The fact that another highly-regarded Air Corps pilot was encouraging Steve to try and date not only a civilian but a Stark was surprising, and didn't really fit at all with Tony's preconceived notions about pilots.</p><p>"Tony, Peter begged me to tell you about him as soon as possible, and I promised him that I would," Steve said. "I was going to tell you tonight, actually. I was going to offer to drive us both up there so we could visit him together."</p><p>Tony sniffed, trying very hard to keep his expression neutral. With Steve acting as his military escort Tony wouldn't have to worry about having to leave the hospital before curfew began, which would alleviate about eighty-three point nine nine percent of his stress.</p><p>And with the final preparations for Project Phoenix on the line, being less stressed would only help matters.</p><p>"Who else knows that you've been visiting my son?" he asked.</p><p>"Only Colonel Phillips and the nurses at the hospital," answered Steve. "I've never told anyone else. Not even my teammates."</p><p>Shaking his head, Tony chanced a glance up at Steve. The tall, broad pilot was still standing in the middle of the room, his expression so forlorn he could've given Peter's best puppy-dog eyes a run for their money.</p><p>"Okay, so anything else?" he asked. "'Cause I'm pretty sure you just used at least three minutes of your allotted one."</p><p>"No, I suppose not," Steve said quietly. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Tony, I am so, so sorry. I wish there was something else I could say, but—"</p><p>"I'd rather you didn't," Tony cut in as he pushed himself up to his feet. He had to get out of there; there was no way he could think rationally with those piercing blue eyes staring down at him, tugging on his heartstrings. "I… I need to go. I can't—I can't be around you right now. I need to think, so…"</p><p>Steve gave a single nod. "I understand. I'll—I'll be here once you're ready. Just let me know."</p><p>Without another word, Tony crossed the room to the door and left, making a beeline across the base to his office. He'd just barely managed to get the door closed before the tears began to fall, streaming down his face in hot, salty rivulets. He wanted so badly to believe Steve, believe that he'd meant it when he'd said that he loved him, believe that it was all just some wacky coincidence that Steve had met Peter before he'd even realised who he was, but—</p><p>But that would be admitting that something was finally starting to go Tony's way, and since Tony couldn't remember the last time that had happened it was almost too damn hard for him to admit that it could be now.</p><p>Slumping onto his chair, Tony reached for his phone. He needed to start prepping for that morning's simulator sessions, but he knew if he didn't at least try to talk to Peter first that he'd be pretty much useless.</p><p>"Peter Stark," he barked at the hospital operator, not even attempting to be polite. Tony tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk while he waited, his eyes flicking up to the drawing of Mrs Bird and her three chicks as a mental portrait of Steve and Peter sitting together in his hospital room chatting as they sketched formed in his mind, almost against his will.</p><p>"Dad?" Peter said, sounding surprised and more than a bit concerned. "Are you okay? You never call me this early?"</p><p>"Yeah, bud, I'm fine," Tony said. He pulled off his glasses, rubbing at his stinging eyes. "I… uh…"</p><p>"No, you don't sound fine," said Peter. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"Buddy, how long has Steve been coming to see you there at the hospital?" Tony blurted out. May as well just get it all out in the open.</p><p>There was a long pause. "Um… pretty much since I got here. Why?"</p><p>"And you didn't see the need to tell me that some stranger was visiting you?" Tony demanded.</p><p>"Dad, what happened? Did you and Steve have a fight about me or something?"</p><p>"Damnit Pete, just answer the question!"</p><p>"I didn't tell you 'cause I thought it would just make you sad!" Peter exclaimed, followed by such a junky coughing fit that Tony's heart almost dropped to his knees. He really had no business trying to get Peter upset.</p><p>"Oh gods, buddy, I'm sorry," Tony said. "I shouldn't've snapped at you. But here I've been thinking this whole time that you and Steve didn't even know each other and it turns out that you've known him even longer than I have, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm just a bit confused as to what the hell's going on."</p><p>"I didn't tell you about Steve 'cause I didn't wanna upset you," Peter said once he'd finally regained his breath. "You were already so bummed that you couldn't get here much, and I thought if you knew that some random pilot was visiting me you'd be even more bummed. I know how you feel about the Air Corps, and especially about most of their pilots, so—"</p><p>"Yeah, but once you figured out that Steve wasn't just some random pilot?" asked Tony. "What about then?"</p><p>Again there was a pause, one where Tony could just picture his boy's adorable pouty lower lip. "I told Steve that he needed to tell you, and he promised me that he would," he said quietly. "He said he hated keeping it from you, and the last time I saw him he told me he was going to offer to bring you up here to see me after curfew."</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said with a sigh. "That's what he told me too."</p><p>"Sooo… then you did have a fight?" asked Peter.</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, bud, although I wouldn't've exactly called it a fight. Mostly he just kinda stood there like a lost puppy while I yelled at him, and then he told me the same things you just told me."</p><p>"Uh huh. And?"</p><p>"And what?"</p><p>"What do you mean, and what?" said Peter. "That's not it, is it? You're not gonna not see him again because of me, are you?"</p><p>"Pete, it's not that simple—"</p><p>"Yeah, it kinda is!" Peter insisted. "Dad, Steve told me that he loves you! He told me he's in love with you, and—and—and you can't just throw all that away just 'cause you're mad at him! That would be so incredibly stupid, Dad, and you're not stupid!"</p><p>The frantic edge in Peter's voice caught Tony off guard, and he sat up straighter in his chair, scowling.</p><p>"Pete?" he said carefully. "Buddy, what's going on?"</p><p>"Nothing!" Peter squeaked. "I just really, really, <em>really</em> don't want you to mess this up!"</p><p>"Pete, sometimes things like this just don't work out, and—"</p><p>"But this will, Dad, you just have to let it!" Peter pleaded. "I've never seen you so happy in my whole life! Not ever! You love Steve, and when two people love each other they're supposed to stay together! Whatever it takes!"</p><p>"Okay, bud, just… calm down, okay?" Tony said. He huffed out a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Pete—"</p><p>"What did you say to Steve," Peter interrupted. "When you were yelling at him, what did you say?"</p><p>"Pete, I'm not gonna tell you that," Tony answered. "It's not something that you—"</p><p>"But you didn't break up with him, right?"</p><p>Tony's throat tightened as his eyes filled with tears. "No, not exactly. I… uh… I just told him I needed some time. To think. Buddy, he <em>lied</em> to me about something that's really important, and that's not something that good relationships are usually built on."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe, but it wasn't an unforgivable lie," said Peter. "Or at least I don't think it was. And I know he loves you, Dad. You should see his face light up whenever he talks about you, it's so cheesy! He gets all googly-eyed and stuff… and so do you when you talk about him. It's written all over your face whenever you even say his name, so don't you be thinking this is all one-sided or anything. I've seen it from both of you."</p><p>"Okay, okay, I get it." Tony scrubbed his palm down his face. "Look, I gotta get going now, but I'm gonna be coming out there as soon as I can this afternoon, okay?"</p><p>"Why can't you just come out later with Steve? That's what he wanted to do?"</p><p>"Pete—"</p><p>"Dad, you've gotta fix this with Steve first! Please, it's really important!"</p><p>"Nothing's more important to me than you are, Peter Edwin Stark," Tony said firmly. "And you know it,"</p><p>Peter sighed heavily into the receiver. "Yeah, I know, but… please? Can't you make up with Steve first? For me? He told me that he's gonna be starting on the trial space missions soon, and Dad, I wanna make sure that you guys are okay before all that. For both your sakes."</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Tony. "You're not giving me that darn pout of yours over the phone now, are ya?"</p><p>"Yes, I am," Peter said, quite triumphantly. "Pleeeaaassseee?"</p><p>"All right, all right, all right," Tony said before the kid's voice managed to shatter every single piece of glass in his office. "I'll… I'll talk to Steve sometime this evening, okay?"</p><p>"Whew," said Peter. "Okay. That sounds good. Oh, and Dad?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Um… how'd you figure out that Steve was coming here if he didn't tell you?"</p><p>"Uhh, well…" Tony stammered. "He went out for a run early this morning, and I saw his sketchbook sitting there on the table so I just decided to flip through it while I was waiting for him to come back, and I found a drawing that was just like the one that you drew. With the birds. It was just too similar to be a coincidence, so…"</p><p>"So… you're telling me that you figured it out 'cause you were snooping around in his stuff?" Peter asked. "Is that it?"</p><p>Tony's heart lurched painfully. Of course his own kid would be the one to put it like that.</p><p>"Yeah. I guess I was. But, Pete, I—"</p><p>"Dad, I know you've never trusted the Air Corps too much, except for Uncle James and Auntie Carol, but you gotta believe me on this. Steve's not like the rest of them. He's nice and funny and kind, and he loves you. And he also told me that he loves me like a son, and Dad, I don't think he'd lie about that stuff. I don't think he <em>could </em>lie about that stuff. He's just not capable of it."</p><p>Tony frowned as he slid on his glasses, checking the clock. "Yeah, yeah, okay, Pete. Look, I gotta go, but… we're not done talking about this, okay?"</p><p>"I don't want you coming out here without Steve today, Dad," Peter warned. "I haven't seen him in three days 'cause he was afraid he'd run into you if he came here, so I want you both to come together. He told me he could bring you after curfew and you wouldn't have to worry about getting in trouble."</p><p>"That's 'cause he's military, bud. They get a free pass for just about anything."</p><p>"Well, then you may as well use it, right?"</p><p>"Hmph. I've always been able to get by."</p><p>"Yeah, but why just get by when you can really live, Dad?" said Peter. He let out another yucky cough, one that made Tony wince. "I just want you to be happy. You deserve it."</p><p>A knot the size of a marble rose in Tony's throat. Sometimes the selflessness of his son shocked even him.</p><p>"I'm glad you think so, bud. I'll see you later, 'kay?"</p><p>"Not without Steve, Dad," said Peter. "I'm serious."</p><p>"Okay, buddy. I love you."</p><p>"Uh huh. Love you too."</p><p>Tony sniffed as he put down the phone, swiping his fingers across his eyes under his glasses. He knew the X-302 pilots were used to seeing him in various stages of fatigue and general unkemptness, but if what Steve had said was true about his teammates already knowing about the two of them, all any of them would need to do would be to take one look at Steve's face and know that something had happened.</p><p>
  <em>So much for the goddamn no-gossip rule.</em>
</p><p>Gathering up his papers, Tony pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and exited the office, making his way over to the hangar. He purposely averted his eyes as he headed for the simulator section, where he found Carol and Sam Wilson waiting for him.</p><p>"Good morning, Mr Stark. Doing okay?" said Carol, her pretty eyes radiating concern. Wilson at least had the decency to keep his expression neutral, but based on what Tony had seen of him and what Steve had told him, Sam Wilson tended to do a lot more observing than talking. Steve had even told Tony that Sam was like the team's unofficial counsellor, the person any of them could go to when they were struggling with something.</p><p>"Yep," Tony said, rather sharply. If Carol had already heard that meant that Rhodey probably had as well, which was just fucking <em>perfect.</em></p><p>
  <em>Goddamnit.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, I'm good," Tony added as he dropped his papers onto the console, sliding on his headset. Unlike Steve, Tony had long-ago mastered the art of hiding his feelings. Or at least he believed that he had.</p><p>"Let's just get going, shall we?"</p><p>"Sure thing," said Carol, shooting Tony a wink before climbing into her cockpit. Tony had always liked Carol. Her absolute devotion to Rhodey—especially through his accident and recovery—had long-ago proved to Tony that she was the real deal. She was an actual human being beneath her Air Corps uniform instead of just another military lackey.</p><p>And up until about an hour ago, Tony had believed that Steve was as well. But despite his best efforts to keep his heart hardened towards him, Peter's words insisted on reverberating around in his head, like a never-ending echo.</p><p>"<em>He loves you, Dad. And you love him. He just didn't want to upset you."</em></p><p>It made sense, Tony had to admit, and even more so given Steve's lack of relationship experience. He just wouldn't know how to play the stupid mind-games that some people enjoyed when chasing a prospective partner.</p><p>"<em>I don't want you coming up here without Steve today, Dad. I just want you to be happy."</em></p><p>"Kid just wants me to be happy," Tony muttered. "'Cause that's just the kind of kid that he is."</p><p>"Pardon me, Mr Stark?" said Captain Wilson through Tony's headset. "Did you say something?"</p><p>"No, Captain. Sorry," said Tony. He sucked in a deep breath, shuffling through his papers for the go/no-go sequences. He'd have to think more about that stuff later; at the moment he needed to concentrate.</p><p>"Let's get started."</p><hr/><p>"Everything okay, Peter?" asked Ms Sharon as she swept inside his room with his breakfast tray. "I got a notation on my monitor outside that your heart rate's a bit elevated, so—"</p><p>"No, I'm fine," Peter said. He swiped at his nose, rolling his eyes as he accidentally dislodged his nasal tubes. "Just talking to my dad."</p><p>"I see," said Ms Sharon as she set down his tray, prepping her stethoscope. "Well, your heart rate is still a bit higher than usual, so I'm just going to keep a closer eye on it today, okay?" She patted the top of Peter's head, looking down at him with that pitying look that he abhorred. Peter knew she'd overheard what that dumb doctor had said too, and he'd already begged her more than once not to say anything to his father. The last thing Peter needed was for Dad to freak out over something that he could do absolutely nothing to prevent.</p><p>"How 'bout I give you a haircut later, hmm?" she asked. "I'm surprised you can still see with all those curls hanging in your eyes."</p><p>"Oh, that sounds nice!" Peter said. He had been feeling pretty <em>blah</em> lately, and the bright, sun-shiny weather he could see through his window didn't help. It had been so long since he'd been able to play outside—or even go outside at all—that he'd pretty much forgotten what it was like.</p><p>"My dad and Steve are gonna come and visit me tonight, so I'd love to look nice when they get here."</p><p>"Oh, really?" said Ms Sharon. "They're coming up here together?"</p><p>Peter grinned, barely stifling a cough. "Yeah. They're… well, they're—"</p><p>Ms Sharon gave him a wide smile. "Oh, I love that! I was always hoping that Steve would find someone, he's just too good not to. And your father is a wonderful man, Peter. I don't think I've ever seen a more attentive parent."</p><p>"Yeah. They're both pretty cool."</p><p>"Well, then, how 'bout you eat your breakfast and I'll come back once I'm done with my other patients, okay?" said Ms Sharon. "We'll see if we can find those handsome eyes of yours again, hmm?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter replied. "Thanks!"</p><p>As soon as Ms Sharon was gone, Peter reached for his tray, peeling back the cover on a container of chocolate pudding and shoving a heaping spoonful into his mouth. Just the day before he'd had to have his central intravenous line replaced in his neck and it was still a bit sore, and he had a feeling that Ms Sharon had specifically asked for an extra treat for his breakfast that morning to help make up for it.</p><p>It was something that she would do. Unlike some of the other nurses, Ms Sharon had always treated him well.</p><p>Spooning in another mouthful of pudding, Peter briefly closed his eyes. Dad's phone call that morning had rattled him a lot more than he'd wanted to let on, and he knew he wouldn't be able to really relax again until he and Steve showed up later that evening. He just had to make sure that they were gonna be okay.</p><p><em>Please, Dad, </em>he thought as he glanced out his window, smiling lightly as he watched Mrs Bird land on her nest. Her chicks had grown so big in the last few days that they were almost too big to still fit inside. Soon they would be flying away.</p><p>
  <em>Please, don't let your fear screw this up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's all I have left to give you.</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Damn, these guys are sure on something today!" Bucky exclaimed over the comm as Steve launched into yet another dive, trying to shake the surface-to-air missile that was tailing him. He'd already managed to shake two of the things, the second one just barely, but they just kept coming, launching every few minutes from near the Meridian border.</p><p>"Steve, I think that thing's gaining on you!" shouted Major Lorne from his three. "Hold on, I've almost got a lock on it!"</p><p>"No!" Steve exclaimed just as a drop of sweat landed right in his eyes. He blinked against the burning hot sting, yanking back on the stick just as he banked hard to the right, managing to manoeuvre behind the missile so he could take it out.</p><p>"Nice shot, Rogers!" called Cam Mitchell. "Seemed for a second there that you weren't gonna shake that one!"</p><p>"Which isn't at all like you," Bucky said, soft enough for only Steve to hear him. "C'mon, Stevie, you gotta try and focus here!"</p><p>"I'm trying!" Steve said through clenched teeth. He swiped his hand across his eyes, mentally kicking himself for his lack of concentration.</p><p>"Well, try harder!" said Bucky. "'Cause the last thing you need right now is to get yourself killed!"</p><p>Steve scoffed as he levelled his aircraft, his eyes sweeping his designated area for the rapid flares that indicated another missile launch.</p><p>"Holy shit, there's another one!" cried Major Lorne barely a second later. "Rogers, it's right on you!"</p><p>"Oh no!" Steve gasped as he immediately banked to the left, twisting in the air as he pointed the nose of the aircraft straight up. Based on what he'd learned about the X-302's power source the risk of an engine stall in a straight vertical climb was pretty much nonexistent, so as long as he didn't somehow run out of sky he would hopefully be okay—</p><p>Another ear-splitting explosion caused him to jump, his arm instinctively pushing the stick to the right and almost directly into the biggest fireball that Steve had ever seen.</p><p>"Shit!" Bucky cried, audibly sighing in relief a second later. "Gods, Stevie, I thought you were a goner there for a second!"</p><p>"So did I," Steve rasped, his heart in his throat. "What the hell was that?"</p><p>"I dunno, but from back here it seemed like it was heading directly for ya," said Major Lorne. "And I'd say that it was about three times bigger than any other missile we've come across."</p><p>"New tech, do you think?" asked Steve, giving his head a quick shake. His mental compartments had been in such a horrendous mess ever since Tony had stormed out of his room that morning that he could barely tell which end was up, much less fly with anything close to his usual precision.</p><p>"That's an affirm," said Cam. "Oh, Phillips isn't gonna like this!"</p><p>"No, he's sure as hell not," said Bucky. "But maybe this'll finally force him to tell us what the hell the space missions are for."</p><p>"Eh, I wouldn't count on that!" Cam said as he took out yet another surface-to-air missile. "You know Phillips doesn't like telling us anything until it's only like two days before!"</p><p>Steve pursed his lips, blinking more sweat from his eyes as he tried to suck in a deep breath. His cockpit was so hot he felt like he was literally melting inside his flight suit, and the storm raging inside his mind wasn't helping.</p><p>It hadn't been at all surprising that Bucky had barely taken one look at Steve during their morning briefing and realised something was wrong. Steve had begged him off, not wanting to get into it before their patrol began, even as Bucky had warned him that he maybe shouldn't be flying if he was in that much emotional distress.</p><p>That at least had managed to pull a short laugh out of Steve. He couldn't imagine the look on Phillips' face if he'd gone up and asked to be relieved from his patrol just because he'd had an argument with his boyfriend.</p><p>Which, Steve had realised a few minutes later, had been exactly Bucky's goal.</p><p>"Steve, get back on my wing," Bucky said firmly. "We've only got about thirty minutes left so why don't we just switch spots for the rest. Copy?"</p><p>Steve scowled. "Copy that," he said as he pulled back, allowing Bucky to manoeuvre in front of him.</p><p>"Flare at your eleven, Rogers!" shouted Major Lorne. "It's another huge one and it's coming right at you!"</p><p>"Shit!" Bucky exclaimed as he suddenly swooped up, twisting around to line up his guns. "Why the hell's everyone bullying Stevie today?"</p><p>Barely a second later the missile exploded a shower of sparks and flame, the resulting shockwave sending a violent shimmy through Steve's aircraft.</p><p><em>Guess this answers the question about Meridia catching up to our new tech, </em>Steve thought. <em>Which means Tony'll get even more work piled on top of him.</em></p><p>The last thing Tony needed now was an even heavier workload.</p><p>"So, that was fun, hmm?" Bucky said once they had finally returned to the hangar. "Nothing like getting shot at every ten seconds to get your heart pumping a bit?"</p><p>"Ah huh," Steve managed as he tried to climb down from his cockpit on his shaking legs, grabbing the ladder when his knees threatened to give way. He'd been so upset after Tony left that morning that he hadn't eaten any breakfast, and with his overactive metabolism his blood sugar was now in danger of bottoming out.</p><p>"Whoa!" Bucky said as Steve pitched forward, grabbing onto Steve's arms. "Steve, are you okay?"</p><p>"I need to eat something," he gasped. His heart was racing and sweat was still pouring off of him, dripping into his eyes and onto the floor of the hangar as Bucky planted his palm on the middle of Steve’s back and guided him to the self-service section of the mess hall.</p><p>"Here," Bucky said as he screwed the cap off a bottle of blue superwater and handed it to Steve, who guzzled the whole thing down in about ten seconds. "Gods, Steve, I haven't seen you this bad since you first got the serum!"</p><p>"Shh!" Steve said as he reached for a sandwich, biting off nearly half of it in a single bite. "That's still a secret, Buck!"</p><p>Bucky frowned, grabbing a bag of chips while he watched Steve eat. "So, you gonna tell me what's got you all messed up? It's not like you to forget to eat."</p><p>Tears welled in Steve's eyes, mixing in with the stinging sweat and blurring his vision even more. "Oh gods, Buck, I really screwed things up, and… I don't—I don't know if Tony's ever gonna forgive me."</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bucky said with wide eyes. "Just hold on a minute. I thought you had another date with him just last night?"</p><p>"I did. We even spent the night together, but then—"</p><p>"Whoa, you actually spent the night together?" Bucky cut in. "That's awesome!"</p><p>"Yeah, but that's not really the point right now," said Steve. "I messed up, Buck, and Tony—he was really, really mad, and—"</p><p>"So what the hell happened?"</p><p>Steve huffed, trying to swallow the last of his sandwich past his bone-dry throat. He wasn't shaking anymore, at least, but his ears were still roaring from rushing blood and he suddenly felt too exhausted to even stand. Thankfully Bucky took the hint, guiding him to a corner table inside the near-empty mess hall.</p><p>"Okay, so?" he said once they were seated, pushing another sandwich and a second bottle of superwater towards Steve. "Shoot."</p><p>"Remember when I told you that I'd met Tony's son?" Steve asked. "And how protective he was of him?"</p><p>"Yeah?" said Bucky. "So? Probably a good idea to meet the guy's kid if you're dating him, isn't it?"</p><p>"Yeah, but…" Steve tore off part of the sandwich as he let out a heavy sigh. It seemed like such a stupid thing to hide, now that he thought about it. It's not like Bucky didn't already know that Steve had a sentimental side.</p><p>"I've been going to visit sick kids at the hospital for a few years now," he said. "Usually a couple afternoons a week. One afternoon when I went there I met Tony's son, only I didn't know he was his son at the time. It was the day before our first 302 briefing."</p><p>"Ah huh," Bucky said, his expression eerily neutral. "Go on."</p><p>"Well… I got to know him pretty well. He's pretty sick, poor kid, but he's just… anyway. I don't know if you've noticed but they work Tony pretty hard here, so he wasn't able to get out early enough to be able to visit Peter before curfew, and Peter was pretty sad about it, so—" He paused, taking another bite of the sandwich. Sometimes he had a tendency to include too many details.</p><p>"Long story short, I didn't tell Tony that I already knew his son because I was afraid he'd be upset that I could go and visit him when he couldn't," Steve said. "I was gonna tell him tonight, actually, but—but he figured it out this morning… while I was out running, and—"</p><p>"Yeah. And I bet it didn't go over too well, hmm?" Bucky asked through a mouthful of chips.</p><p>"No. It didn't."</p><p>"And… how's the kid doing in all of this?"</p><p>"He's honestly the sweetest kid I've ever seen, Buck. And I'd say just as smart as his father, if not more so."</p><p>"Damn," Bucky said with an approving nod. "So… it sounds to me like you just need to apologise to Tony."</p><p>"I did. But Tony, he's… Peter needs a heart operation, one that he should've had a long time ago, and the government's been holding it over Tony's head for years while they practically work him to death, and—"</p><p>Bucky's head jerked back. "Whoa, just hold on a second. You're telling me that someone's refusing to operate on a sick kid just because… well… why, exactly?"</p><p>"Because he's a Stark," Steve spat out, his stomach giving a violent lurch as he clenched his fingers around his superwater bottle. "There's really no other reason. I've been doing a lot of digging lately, and that's the only reason that I've been able to come up with that makes any sense. They're using Peter to both punish Tony for what his father did and to keep Tony in line."</p><p>"But… that doesn't make any sense?" said Bucky. "He's only a kid! What good does it do to punish a kid for something his grandfather did?"</p><p>"Or didn't do," said Steve.</p><p>"Huh? You think Howard Stark was actually innocent now?"</p><p>"I don't know," Steve said honestly. "But what I do know is that neither Tony nor Peter have done a single thing to deserve any of this, and yet they're both being punished for it."</p><p>"Okay, so… what're you gonna do about it?" asked Bucky. "I mean, I'm not really sure what you can do about the kid, but you're gonna try to fix this with Tony, right?"</p><p>Steve gave an emphatic nod. "Absolutely. I love him, Buck, but he told me that he needed time to think and I need to respect that."</p><p>"That's fair," Bucky said. "It's not like you were doing anything wrong either. I can think of a lot worse things than spending your afternoons sitting with a sick kid, even if you did lie to me about it." He paused, shooting Steve a rather harsh glare. "And why the hell'd you do that, hmm? You afraid I was gonna make fun of you or something?"</p><p>"No," Steve said, dropping his chin to his chest. "Well, I don't know. It's not exactly very—"</p><p>"Very… what? Very pilot-like? Who says that pilots can't be real humans too, huh? And just 'cause you're all big and bulky now doesn't mean that you're not still the same Stevie that I used to know."</p><p>"The Stevie you used to know used to get beat up in the schoolyard all the time," Steve said ruefully. "And that was only when he was well enough to go in the first place."</p><p>"Yeah, but that's because he couldn't tolerate anyone talking smack about the people he cared about." Bucky leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I'm not saying anything specific, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to have a day off more than once every couple of months? Maybe even be able to keep our lights on at night? Sam and I talk about that stuff all the time."</p><p>Steve's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"</p><p>"Oh hell yeah," said Bucky. "I mean, there's gotta come an end to the war sometime, right? Do we even know why we're still fighting?"</p><p>Steve pursed his lips, fiddling with his bottle cap. Bucky had said something similar way back when Riley was killed, and Steve had just brushed it off as him venting some of his anger and frustration over losing another teammate. But if he and Sam were still actively discussing it then that likely meant they weren't the only ones, which also likely meant that—</p><p>"But you gotta make up with Tony first," Bucky said, as if he'd read Steve's mind. "'Cause I'm serious, Steve, I don't think you were safe to be flying up there today. And if Meridia really is catching up to our tech then it's not gonna get any easier from here on out. Whenever the 'on out' happens to be."</p><p>"I know." Steve sucked in a deep, shaky breath. "I'm gonna try and find him once I get cleaned up."</p><p>"Don't be afraid to grovel," said Bucky. He gave Steve a rather knowing wink. "Just between you and me, I've been known to do that from time to time."</p><p>"Can't imagine why," Steve muttered as he downed the rest of his superwater. "Thanks, Buck."</p><p>"Eh. I'm not as bad as I seem," Bucky said as they got to their feet. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"</p><p>Steve smiled, clapping Bucky on the shoulder. "I promise."</p><p>He took his time in the shower, rehearsing apology speeches in his mind as he tried to scrub the layer of sweat from his hair and body that felt at least a centimetre thick. Bucky was right; it probably had been unsafe for Steve to be up there that morning not only because of what had happened with Tony, but because he hadn't eaten. Steve had experienced a few pretty scary blood sugar drops right after he'd received the serum as his body tried to adjust to his vastly increased metabolism, but it had been years since he'd had one that bad.</p><p>Finally, as clean and prepared as he could possibly be, Steve headed back towards his room to grab his sketchbook and motorcycle keys. But as he headed down the hallway towards his room his heart hopped into his throat as he noticed Tony sitting cross-legged on the floor by his door, papers strewn across his lap and a pencil in one hand.</p><p>"Tony! You're—you're <em>here!</em>" Steve gasped as he crossed the rest of the distance in only three strides. He instinctively reached a hand down to help Tony to his feet, his heart leaping when Tony grasped onto it.</p><p>"Are you okay?" he added. "Did something happen?"</p><p>"I could ask you the same thing," Tony said, his expression scarily neutral. "I heard there was a bit of trouble during your patrol?"</p><p>Steve's eyebrows knitted together. "You heard—? Wait, nevermind. No, I'm—I'm fine. The Meridians were just an extra bit—"</p><p>"I wasn't asking about the Meridians, Steve," Tony said. "I was asking about you."</p><p>"Oh, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me." Steve bit down on his bottom lip, shifting on his feet. This wasn't how he'd planned to apologise, but he may as well just go with it anyway.</p><p>"Tony, I am so, so—" he started.</p><p>"I talked to Pete," Tony cut in. "This morning before the simulator sessions."</p><p>"You did? Is he okay?" Steve quickly asked.</p><p>"Yeah, he's fine. Or as fine as he can be, I guess," Tony said with a shrug. "He also pretty much told me exactly what you said this morning, so…"</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"It was dumb as hell of you to not tell me," Tony stated. "And especially after Pete specifically asked you to."</p><p>"I know. Tony, I <em>know,</em> and I'm so, so sorry. I was—I was just scared. So scared to mess things up with you, and I guess—"</p><p>He was silenced by Tony brushing his fingers across his lips, the soft touch nearly causing his knees to buckle.</p><p>"Will you just hush for a minute?" Tony asked quietly. Steve nodded, barely daring to blink.</p><p>"Thank you. Now, I'm not saying that what you did wasn't dumb, 'cause it was. You lied to me, Steve, and you lied to me about my son, which makes it about a million times worse. But from what Pete told me he thinks you're a pretty cool guy, and—"</p><p>"Tony, I couldn't love that little boy any more than if he was my own child," Steve blurted out. "And I swear to you, I will never, ever do anything that might hurt him. Not ever."</p><p>"Yeah, I kinda got that," Tony whispered. "And I know that you visiting him has really helped keep his spirits up since he's been in the hospital, so—"</p><p>"And I also meant what I said to you," Steve said. He tentatively curled his arm around Tony's waist, drawing him closer. "I love you, Tony. I love you and I want to be with you, and I'm so sorry that I almost messed things up, and—"</p><p>"All right, all right, I get it." Tony wound his arms around Steve's neck, eyeing him pointedly. "No more secrets, okay? I'll admit that I've got a couple of my own that I need to divulge too, so you're not the only one, but I mean it. We can't do this if we're gonna be keeping secrets from each other, Steve. I won't do it."</p><p>"I understand," Steve said. "And I agree. There's… there's a couple other things that I need to tell you as well."</p><p>"Well, how 'bout you tell me after we go and visit Pete tonight, hmm?" said Tony. "He made me promise not to go and see him unless we went there together, so—"</p><p>"He did?" Steve asked, smiling widely.</p><p>"Mmmhmm. Sure did."</p><p>"Oh, that's good," Steve breathed. "That's—that's really good. I—" He dipped his head to kiss Tony, nearly crying in relief when Tony returned the kiss with vigor. "So when would you like to go?"</p><p>Tony's lips quirked into a soft smile. "Ah, I've still got a bit of programming to do, and then I need to go over the patrol reports from last night and this morning, but then—"</p><p>"Can I help?" Steve asked eagerly. "Maybe it'll help you get done a bit faster?"</p><p>"Yeah, I guess, but you're sure you don't have something better to do?" Tony asked. "It's not gonna be too exciting watching me read reports."</p><p>"I don't mind watching you," Steve said with a rather wry grin. He tilted his head, trailing his thumb across Tony's cheekbone. "Maybe we can even talk a bit while you work?"</p><p>"Oh yeah? What about?"</p><p>"Well…" Steve knew that Tony had likely already noticed that his senses were a bit stronger than the average person, and he also knew that Tony had a right to know that his father's work had been used without his permission or authorisation. And since Tony had said no more secrets between them, Steve believed that the time had come for him to know.</p><p>Steve glanced down the hall, making sure they were still alone before leaning down to whisper in Tony's ear.</p><p>"Have you ever heard of Project Rebirth?"</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew!  Hopefully now things can move forward for our three favourite boys 💖.</p><p>I’m always eager to hear what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  😊</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for all of the kudos and kind comments!  I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!  💖 </p><p>And an especially big thank-you to my awesome beta allthesinnersandthesaints 💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Okay, so does this whole Project Rebirth thing have anything to do with the fact that you managed to tear the sheets last night?" Tony asked as he popped the last of his bread roll into his mouth. He grinned as Steve's cheeks proceeded to flush that deep pink colour he adored. "I mean, I know I can give a pretty decent blowjob, but—"</p><p>"Yes, it does," Steve said, clearing his throat. He chugged down the rest of his drink, the blue stuff that reminded Tony of that goofy alien booze from one of Peter's favourite television shows. "So your father never spoke to you about it?"</p><p>Tony scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Howard never spoke to me about much of anything, much less some super-secret project that he worked on before his fall from grace."</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said softly. "That's the impression I got about him from Peter."</p><p>"Oh? What did Pete tell you about him?"</p><p>"Only that your relationship with him wasn't that great," Steve said, laced with sympathy. "And that Howard never really recovered from his arrest and trial."</p><p>Tony's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Not unless you call drowning himself in whisky and mooching off my mom until she dropped of a heart attack ‘recovering’, then no, he didn't." He dropped his gaze to his plate, tearing off another piece of his roll. "Mom worked really hard to keep the roof over our heads once Howard got arrested, but we were still in so much debt when she died that I'll never be able to pay it all off. If it hadn't been for the government deciding that I was worthy enough to attend university, I'm sure we would've been out on the streets as soon as I turned seventeen. Mr Jarvis helped me when he could, but his military pension wasn't huge and I never felt comfortable accepting his credits."</p><p>"That's understandable," said Steve. "There's nothing wrong with you wanting to make your own way."</p><p>"Eh, it was more like I wanted to prove that I was nothing like my father," Tony said firmly. He tapped his fingertips on the table, giving the sprawling mess hall another anxious glance. Steve had insisted that it was okay for Tony to join him in the officer's mess for dinner, and they had even talked very pleasantly with his teammates Captains Wilson and Barnes for awhile, but Tony still wasn't quite comfortable sitting in what he'd always felt was a forbidden place.</p><p>He did have to admit, however, that the fact that Steve wasn't trying to hide that they were together helped quite a bit. They had even entered the mess hall holding hands, with Steve sitting Tony with his teammates while he went to get their food, and aside from a few curious glances in his direction, no one said or did anything that Tony would've considered less than polite.</p><p>Not exactly what he would've expected from a bunch of stuck-up pilots, and while Tony wasn't quite ready to completely dismiss his long-held stereotypes about pilots as a whole, pieces were chipping away pretty fast.</p><p>Besides that, it was a lot more comfortable to eat at an actual table than it would've been in Tony's tiny office. Steve had been forced to sit on the less messy corner of Tony's desk while he'd worked that afternoon, going over the previous day's X-302 reports and inputting the rest of Peter's JARVIS updates.</p><p>All of which had worked perfectly, of course. And as long as Phillips gave the approval—which Tony couldn't imagine why he wouldn't—Tony would soon be able to upload JARVIS into the mainframes of each of the three space-capable X-302s and have him take over about ninety percent of the calculations the pilots would've been responsible for. The pilots would still have override authority, in the event that for some weird reason they believed that JARVIS did or tried to do something incorrectly, but in all the numerous simulations that Tony had performed on his matrix, JARVIS hadn't shown one single mistake.</p><p>"I'm really sorry about your mom, Tony," Steve murmured. "She sounds like she was a pretty amazing lady."</p><p>Pain pierced Tony's heart as he looked down at his half-finished plate. While his mother may have worked hard to earn a living, the intense stress she'd been under because of it had caused her to withdraw from pretty much everyone, including Tony, leaving him to fend for himself from the time he was younger than Peter. If Mr Jarvis hadn't been there to keep him in line for as long as he did, Tony was certain that he would've been dead several times over.</p><p>And once Peter came along, even though his discovery was one of the biggest shocks Tony had ever experienced in his life, he swore that he would never, ever neglect his own child.</p><p>"She… uh… my mom tried, I think," Tony said quietly. "But her life didn't end up going at all the way that she'd planned, and… I don't think she ever adapted very well to her new reality, ya know?"</p><p>Steve reached for Tony's hand across the table. "I do know, Tony. My ma's life didn't end up going the way that she'd planned either."</p><p>Tony sniffed, stuffing another piece of bread into his mouth. "Yeah, but at least yours didn't dump you off on someone else most of the time."</p><p>"Well… maybe not emotionally, but growing up I honestly spent more time with Bucky's family than I did with my ma." Steve shrugged, running his thumb across Tony's knuckles. "I even had my own bed at their house and everything. Bucky's dad was a pilot too, so his ma was home all the time and looked after us."</p><p>"Mmm," Tony muttered. "Must've been nice."</p><p>"It was," Steve said, rather sheepishly. "I'm not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed it. I'd always wished for a brother or sister, but after my papa was killed Ma insisted that she'd never fall in love again, so… Bucky was the closest thing I ever had to a brother."</p><p>Tony gave a nod, glancing up at Steve through his eyelashes, his heart stuttering at the glorious sight. It had been such an exhausting day that at the moment Tony wanted nothing better than to crawl back under the torn sheets on Steve's bed and sleep for the next three days.</p><p>After they went and visited Peter, of course, which, despite his overall exhaustion, Tony couldn't help but admit he was very much looking forward to. Without the worry of getting to the hospital and then leaving again before curfew hanging over him, Tony's shoulders already felt at least three tons lighter.</p><p>He also couldn't wait to see the look on Peter's face once he saw them together.</p><p>"Okay, so, back to the torn sheets," Tony said. He glanced nervously around the massive room, hoping like hell that no one was trying to eavesdrop. "Ahh, you're sure it's safe to talk about this stuff in here?"</p><p>Tony watched as Steve's gorgeous blue eyes scanned the room. "I don't see why it wouldn't be," he murmured. "But if you're not comfortable here we can talk outside."</p><p>"Yeah, I think I'd prefer that," Tony said. No sense in them getting arrested for treason before they'd even committed it.</p><p>"All right then. Is there anything else you'd like to eat?" Steve asked. "I can grab some things to take with us too if you want."</p><p>"No, I'm good," said Tony, which was true. Before he'd started dating Steve his meals—if one could even call them that—had consisted mainly of whatever Rhodey brought him on any given day. Tony had always made sure to keep the house stocked with food for Peter, even spending the extra credits for delivery since he usually couldn't leave the base in time to do the shopping himself. Howard had always been useless, only venturing out to the store when he needed to replace his bottles of whisky, but since Peter had been in the hospital Tony hadn't thought too much about groceries.</p><p>After returning their trays, Tony and Steve headed out towards the ball field, finding it occupied with a group of cadets who seemed to be having a home run contest of sorts, judging by the sounds of things.</p><p>"It's weird," Tony said as Steve guided him over to the metal bleachers along the third baseline. "I don't think I've ever seen this part of the base during the day."</p><p>Steve's eyebrows knitted together, and he brought Tony's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. "If you had, you might've seen me on occasion," he said. "My teammates and I sometimes come out here after patrol."</p><p>"Let off some steam, hmm?" Tony asked.</p><p>"Something like that," Steve said with a nod. He looked down at Tony's hand, trailing his fingertips down his index finger. "Once I met Peter, though, I usually couldn't wait to get to the hospital so I could see him. I limited myself to just three times a week because it was hard having to lie to my teammates about where I was going, but… I would've rather been visiting with him. He's a pretty remarkable kid, Tony."</p><p>"Yeah, I know it," Tony agreed. "I told you he pretty much saved my life."</p><p>"Well, I'm pretty sure he's been saving mine too," Steve said. "Before him I never felt comfortable with people seeing me as anything other than an Air Corps test pilot. I was—"</p><p>"Am," Tony cut in, grinning when Steve gave him a quizzical look. "You were gonna say that you were one of the best pilots around, but in reality there's no comparison. You <em>are</em> the best, honey. Barnes and Danvers, they're both damn good pilots too, as are the rest of your teammates, but you definitely stand out from the rest."</p><p>Steve smiled, that soft, <em>aw shucks </em>smile that Tony adored. "Maybe. But what I was going to say is that Peter helped me become more comfortable with who I really am. Before the serum I couldn't really do much of anything physically so I would just draw all the time, but afterwards I was so eager to shed that whole weak persona of mine that I guess I decided I needed to hide the aspects of my personality that I thought didn't match my new body."</p><p>"Well, at the risk of sounding patronising, Pete's always been able to see right through anyone," said Tony. "I'm pretty sure those eyes of his are magical or something, because he can detect someone's bullshit from further away than I can even see."</p><p>"Yeah, I got that impression," said Steve. "I'd barely stepped inside his room and he was already wrinkling his nose at my uniform."</p><p>"That's my boy," Tony said proudly. He stole a quick glance at the ball field, quirking an eyebrow as one of the dudes swung at a pitch he had no business swinging at.</p><p>"So… tell me a bit more about this serum stuff, yeah?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod, shooting another furtive glance towards the ball field. "My ma heard about it from Bucky's ma, who'd heard about it from Bucky's dad," he began. "Colonel Phillips, well, he was only a major at the time, but anyway… he'd apparently been conducting certain drills with the cadets, trying to find who he considered worthy enough to test out the serum. Once my ma heard about it she called him up and demanded that he come to the house, telling him that she owed it to my papa to let me be given the serum."</p><p>"He owed it to your papa?" Tony asked. "Why? 'Cause he was killed?"</p><p>"That's what I've always thought, but… lately I've been wondering if it meant something even more than that." Steve pursed his lips, giving his head a quick shake. "But that's a conversation we can have another time."</p><p>"I can do that," said Tony. "Keep going."</p><p>"Well, it wasn't a very pleasant conversation," Steve continued, shuddering slightly. "They were closed up in our spare room, but Ma was really letting him have it. And once they finally came out, Phillips told me to meet him at the base in two days."</p><p>The loud <em>clink </em>of a bat connecting with a baseball briefly drew Tony's attention, and he watched as the ball sailed over the left field fence, the various cadets all whooping and yelling as they reveled in the batter's prowess.</p><p>
  <em>Damn. Must be nice to have that much free time.</em>
</p><p>"And Phillips never mentioned that Howard was involved?" he asked.</p><p>"No, he knew better than to mention that name in front of my ma," said Steve. "All he told me was that I was damn lucky I was my papa's son 'cause there'd be no chance in hell I'd be there otherwise, and that it was going to hurt. I never found out where it came from or who developed it."</p><p>"Well, I'm not shocked that they didn't advertise the fact that Howard Stark had a hand in making the stuff," Tony said.</p><p>"Yes, but they still should've told him about it, Tony," Steve said firmly. "Because it worked. That serum transformed me from a skinny, sickly waif of an eighteen-year-old into—"</p><p>"The tall, strapping guy that you are now," Tony finished. He gave Steve's hand a light squeeze. "And then you thought you needed to change your personality to match, hmm?"</p><p>Steve dropped his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Yeah, I guess. Pretty stupid, huh?"</p><p>"Eh, I can see why it'd be attractive," said Tony. "I know one of the things that Pete misses the most is being able to play outside. I'm sure one of the first things he'll do after his surgery and recovery is try to climb up a tree."</p><p>"Yeah, he's told me that a few times." Steve bit down on his bottom lip, still fiddling with Tony's fingers. "Tony, Phillips told me not too long ago that he thinks there's still some serum left. He didn't say any more than that, and he also doesn't know where it is or how much, but… I was thinking…"</p><p>"Best not to, honey," Tony said quickly. He knew exactly what Steve was getting at, but the fiercely protective side of him wanted absolutely nothing to do with the possibility of subjecting his son to some secret government experiment. "Knowing our government they've already wasted it on some other poor idiot who ended up getting killed or something."</p><p>Steve frowned, tapping his fingers on the back of Tony's hand. "That's another odd thing that I noticed in my research. I found a list of civilian scientists that had worked for the Air Corps over the years. Your name was on it, and Howard's, and a guy named Justin Hammer that—"</p><p>"Oh, he was an idiot," Tony cut in. "Pure and simple. Tried to convince O'Brien that he could design a better aircraft than me. He put on a pretty good show, but that's all he was. Just a bunch of unfulfilled promises dressed up in a fancy suit."</p><p>"Yeah, that was our impression of him as well," said Steve. "He tried to teach a class for us a couple years ago, and it just—well, let's just say that I probably could've taught it better."</p><p>"I'm sure you could have," Tony said with a smile. "You're pretty damn smart, <em>Captain</em>."</p><p>Steve grinned, showing off the dimple that gave Tony heart palpitations. "Well… I try. There's no way I can compare to you or Peter though."</p><p>"No, but Pete's pretty much on a whole other level," said Tony. "He's… something else." He paused, contemplating his next question. "You said the serum procedure hurt?"</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said with wide eyes. "Basically how it went was, I stripped down to my waist, they gave me a bunch of shots, and then set up this kind of infusion device inside what looked like an old missile casing. Once they closed me inside it the infusion device activated, sending the serum into my major muscle groups, and then a few seconds later I got bombarded with some kind of radiation."</p><p>"Radiation?" exclaimed Tony. "Holy shit, Steve, that's not exactly—!"</p><p>"Phillips assured me that it was a harmless type," said Steve. "Or at least only minimally harmful. But the procedure was pretty intense. It felt like my limbs were getting physically stretched at the same time that I was getting the worst sunburn of my life."</p><p>"Well, you're not wrong, actually," said Tony. "How small were you before?"</p><p>"About ten inches shorter and over eighty pounds lighter," Steve answered. "But it wasn't just my appearance that changed. My metabolism got four times faster, my reflexes improved, even my memory got better."</p><p>"And all that stuff's been permanent?" asked Tony.</p><p>"So far. It's been ten years, so I don't imagine it's ever gonna change."</p><p>"Mmm." Tony leaned closer, his eyebrows knitting together. "So, is that why you nearly got blown out of the sky earlier today on your patrol? 'Cause you didn't eat when you were supposed to?"</p><p>Steve audibly gulped. "You saw me?"</p><p>"Yeah, I did," said Tony. "I was up there on the observation deck watching, and it looked to me that you could barely walk once your feet hit the floor. I'm pretty sure if your buddy hadn't been there you would've face-planted right there next to your aircraft."</p><p>Steve's shoulders sagged as he gave Tony a rather sheepish look. "Tony—"</p><p>"No, just… hear me out, okay?" Tony sucked in a deep breath, his fingers tightening around Steve's. It had taken all of his willpower and then some to not race down to the hangar the second he saw Steve stumbling down his ladder.</p><p>"Look, I'm not gonna rehash our argument again, mostly 'cause I just don't want to, but honey, as much as I hate to tell you, it probably won't be the only one that we ever have, and I can't have you going out there and trying to get yourself killed every time that we do. Okay? Especially now that Pete's latched onto you already, I can't have him worrying about you every single time you take off."</p><p>"I don't want him to worry about me, Tony," Steve said firmly. "I don't want you to worry about me either. I—"</p><p>"Well, too late," Tony stated. "And especially if you go and do dumb shit like that again. It's bad enough that you're up there five days out of seven, but still—"</p><p>"I was afraid you never wanted to see me again!" Steve yelped. "And I also thought if that was the case, then I deserved it."</p><p>Tony sighed as he studied his boyfriend, his beautiful blue eyes glassy and the fading sunlight bouncing off the lighter blond strands in his hair. He was just so unbelievably beautiful that Tony still didn't quite understand what he saw in him, someone who not only was almost the exact opposite in looks, but also a civilian. With the forbidden last name of Stark.</p><p>"Honestly, if it hadn't been for Pete that probably would've been it for you," Tony admitted. "Although if it hadn't been for Pete then the whole basis for the argument wouldn't've happened in the first place, but anyway… I don't have a lot of experience with relationships, Steve. I'm pretty sure my longest one before you was maybe only a few weeks, and that was so long ago that I hardly remember it. My mom and dad barely spoke to each other once Howard got released from prison, and—and I guess once I got a bit older I just figured it was too much work to try and constantly make someone else happy that I never bothered with it."</p><p>"And I always swore that I'd never fall in love because I was too afraid to get my heart broken," said Steve. "That's what happened to my ma, and it almost destroyed her." He kissed the back of Tony's hand, cradling it against his cheek. "I tried really hard to ignore you at first, tried telling myself that it was your father's fault that my papa was killed, anything to keep from falling for you. But none of it worked. I couldn't've stopped it if I tried."</p><p>Warmth burst across Tony's chest at Steve's words, spreading down his arms and legs. He may not have been able to understand Steve's attraction to him, but that didn't mean he wasn't grateful for it.</p><p>It also didn't mean that he wasn't almost scared to death about the fact that he was now placing the man he loved in danger of getting arrested for treason. Tony had no doubt that Steve would gladly go along with whatever version of Project Phoenix came to be, and especially if he knew that it was Peter's wish as well. But the fact that the stakes had already been raised about a million-fold haunted him. Tony had heard various stories over the years about Air Corps widows and had personally seen the anguish Rhodey and Carol had gone through after his accident, and it wasn't something that he was at all looking forward to having to face.</p><p>"Well, I can't say I'm too sorry for that," he said softly. "But, honey, there's still a lot more stuff that I've got to tell you, and—"</p><p>"I know, Tony," Steve murmured. "But you don't have to tell me all at once, okay? I'm not going anywhere."</p><p>"Oh, no, of course you're not," Tony said with a rather morbid chuckle. "Just out into space, you know. No big deal."</p><p>"Well, I do have to admit I'm pretty excited about that," Steve said, just as another round of cheers erupted from the ball field. "Even if it does worry you."</p><p>"Nah, I can understand that. When I was a kid I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be a pilot. Little did I know that I'd have no chance in hell of ever being considered."</p><p>"Was it because of your heart?" Steve asked.</p><p>"Yep. Can't have any pilots up there defending our skies that are in anything less than perfect health," answered Tony, rolling his eyes. "And especially not one who's the son of the infamous national traitor. Although, he wasn't quite yet at the time, I guess."</p><p>"You're not in any danger though, are you?" asked Steve. "With your heart? It's not going to… undo itself or something someday, is it?"</p><p>"No, not unless something really weird happens." A knot rose in Tony's throat. "Mine… I never got as bad as Pete. My defect was pretty much the same as his, but… he should've had his surgery over eight years ago, after he was first diagnosed, so—"</p><p>"And that's just not right, Tony," Steve said with a frown. "Is there anyone I could maybe speak to about it?"</p><p>"No!" Tony yelped, squeezing Steve's hand when he flinched. "No, honey, just…" He couldn't risk Steve asking too many questions when Project Phoenix was so close to being implemented. "Not yet, okay? Let's make sure that the trial missions go okay first and then see if Phillips still wants to green light the whole thing. There's a lot of steps that kinda need to go in order here."</p><p>"Which you still need to explain to me," Steve reminded him gently. "Or I guess to all three of us. You mentioned something about an orbital defence system way back on our first date, but we haven't heard anything else."</p><p>"Which is still supposed to be a secret," Tony said quickly. "Look, as soon as I get JARVIS uploaded into the simulators and we make sure he doesn't cause any bugs—which he won't, 'cause Pete designed him—then Phillips is gonna be announcing the purpose of the missions." He swallowed hard, biting his bottom lip. Just an hour or so ago he had ranted to Steve about how they couldn't have any secrets between them, and yet here he was breaking that very vow.</p><p>"It's all right, Tony," Steve whispered. "I understand."</p><p>Tony shook his head. "No, honey, I don't think you do, but… damnit, Steve, I just—I can't—"</p><p>"Tony, I promise I can wait," Steve said. "I'm not going to put you or Peter at risk just because I'm curious."</p><p>"But—" Tony sputtered, huffing out a frustrated breath. "Honey, I just… I gotta make sure that nothing can jeopardise Pete's chances of getting his surgery. He's—he's almost at the end of his rope, and because of that there's just a lot of pieces that need to fall into place, and—"</p><p>"Tony, I said I understand." Steve cupped Tony's cheek in his free hand, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I'm not going to let anything happen that might hurt Peter, all right?"</p><p>Tears stung Tony's eyes, and he tipped his forehead against Steve's collarbone. "You really do love him like a son, hmm?"</p><p>"I do," Steve murmured as his arm slid around Tony's shoulders, drawing him closer. "Just like with you, I didn't have a choice. You Starks are pretty charming."</p><p>Tony chuckled. "Well, at least we've got something going for us."</p><p>"That and genius-level intellects," said Steve. "And I'm not going to let anything happen to Peter, Tony. I promise."</p><p>"How can you promise that?" Tony asked, hating that he felt so helpless and weak. He was Peter's father, and fathers were supposed to be strong.</p><p>Well, at least Peter had one father who was strong now. Super-soldier strong.</p><p>Steve gave a slight shrug. "I'll figure something out. But the most important thing is that you're not alone anymore, Tony. There's the two of us now."</p><p>"Two of us," Tony said into Steve's chest. "Gods, that's something I never thought I'd hear."</p><p>"I'll say it as often as you need me to," Steve whispered into Tony's hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of Tony's head before getting to his feet. "Are you ready to go see Peter now?"</p><p>Tony breathed in as he took Steve's hand. "Together?"</p><p>"Yep," Steve said with a smile. "Together."</p><hr/><p>"Watch your step as you go inside, Peter," Ms Sharon said as she guided him into his tiny bathroom. "Don't want you to trip."</p><p>"Thanks, Ms Sharon," Peter said as he carefully manoeuvred his IV tree over the tiled floor. "I'll just be a few minutes."</p><p>"Take your time, sweetie. I don't mind waiting," she said. As soon as the door was closed, Peter glanced up at his reflection in the mirror over the sink, his upper lip curling into a sneer at what he saw. Pale, greyish skin, nostrils all dry and irritated, massive padded bandage on the side of his neck, and his eyes all huge and sunken. At least he could see a bit better now that Ms Sharon had trimmed his hair for him. She had even helped him wash it afterwards during his shower. Peter knew Dad had always loved the smell of his shampoo, and he'd wanted to make sure to look extra nice for when he and Steve arrived.</p><p>Peter smiled as he thought about Dad and Steve. If someone would've told him a few months ago that his father would meet and fall in love with an Air Corps pilot, Peter would've thought they were mad. But first impressions aside, Peter had quickly realised that Steve was the absolute best person his father could've chosen. Steve was kind, loyal, honest, and had told Peter over and over that he loved his father—and Peter as well—very much.</p><p>And Peter had no doubt that he'd be able to see Dad through the pain of losing him.</p><p>He brushed his teeth, running his wet fingers through his hair afterwards in a pretty much futile attempt to get his hair to cooperate. After a dismissive shrug at his reflection Peter opened the door, allowing Ms Sharon to take his elbow to help him back to bed.</p><p>"Everything okay?" she asked once he was settled, his blankets pulled up to his chest. He had noticed that he'd been feeling even colder lately, corroborated by one of the doctors earlier who had increased the amount of the oxygen flowing into his nose.</p><p>"I'm afraid this one's going to need to be on an O2 mask soon," she had whispered to her medical student afterwards, once again completely disregarding the fact that Peter could hear every word she was saying. "And once that happens he'll need a feeding tube, which'll cost his father even more credits, and—"</p><p>"And so, what's the endpoint here?" the student had asked, confused. "If he's still deteriorating on his current treatments, then what are his goals of therapy?"</p><p>"Nothing," the doctor had replied, with such a dismissive shrug that Peter had been very tempted to launch his pencil right at her head. "All we're doing now is prolonging the inevitable and putting his father further and further into debt. He's never getting out of here."</p><p>And to make things even better, once again Ms Sharon had heard all of it too, causing her to act even more smothering with him. Most of the time he didn't mind the extra attention that he got from her, but he hated that she felt like she had to get even more lovey with him after he'd overheard more bad news.</p><p>He had already accepted what was coming, and a bit more mothering from his really nice nurse unfortunately wasn't going to prevent it.</p><p>"There you go," said Ms Sharon once she'd handed him his notebook. It was already past the time for her shift to be over, but she often ended up staying late to help Peter get ready for bed.</p><p>"I'm off tomorrow, sweetie, okay?" she added. "So I'll see you in a couple of days."</p><p>"Uh huh," said Peter. "Enjoy your day off."</p><p>Ms Sharon smiled as she patted his head. "I will. You enjoy the visit with your dads, okay?"</p><p>"I will." Peter sat back against his pillows as Ms Sharon exited his room, her word choice hitting him about three seconds after she'd closed the door.</p><p>His <em>dads.</em> As in, plural. More than one.</p><p>He'd already begun to think of Steve as his second dad, but to hear someone else say it like that, like he'd always been… that was a bit different.</p><p>And really, <em>really</em> cool.</p><p>Peter's lips stretched into a smile as he opened his notebook, flipping his pencil around his thumb as he studied what he hoped were the final code fragments for JARVIS. Dad had told him he would be testing out his latest updates that afternoon, and as long as those were okay and once Dad got the last of his changes uploaded, then JARVIS would be ready to escort Steve and his two teammates out into space for their trial mission.</p><p>And as long as that mission went okay, then it would hopefully only be a few more weeks before the real Project Phoenix mission would begin. As long as JARVIS was good and the pilots didn't mess anything up during the trial, the only limiting factor would be Dad building the container for the tesseract, and he had told Peter the last time he'd visited that he was planning to get started on it within the next week or so.</p><p>And then, once the Project Phoenix satellites were all deployed and JARVIS was able to link them up with the tesseract, well… from Peter's perspective, everything would be fine.</p><p>He jumped as someone knocked on his door. "Come in!" he said, hastily closing his notebook, tapping it with his fingers as the door opened and Dad poked his head around it, his face lighting up as soon as he saw Peter.</p><p>"Hey, buddy!" he exclaimed as he stepped inside, Peter's brief moment of panic that Dad had somehow come by himself after all squashed as soon as he saw Steve, his hand tightly holding Dad's.</p><p>"Hey!" Peter said as his heart gave a joyous leap, his smile threatening to split his face. "You—you guys really came! Together!"</p><p>"Yeah, bud," Dad said as he sat down on Peter's bed, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Wow, handsome boy. Did you get a haircut today or something?"</p><p>"Huh? Oh, yeah. Ms Sharon trimmed it for me," Peter said as Steve gently ruffled his hair. "Hey, Steve!"</p><p>"Hey, little guy," Steve said fondly as he took a seat on the block-like chair. He placed his free hand on Peter's shoulder, his blue eyes begging for forgiveness. "Peter, I am so, so sorry that I put you in the position of having to lie for me. That was very selfish of me, and something that I should never have done."</p><p>"It's okay," Peter said quickly. "I'm just glad you guys are here." His eyes flicked between the two men, so giddy with excitement that he could hardly contain himself. "Did you ride here on Steve's motorcycle, Dad?"</p><p>"Yep," replied Dad with wide eyes. "And that was… well… that was something, is what that was. And I thought <em>I </em>liked to drive fast."</p><p>"Oh, I bet you had loads of fun," said Peter. "Um… so I don't know how much you've told Steve about—"</p><p>"Steve knows about JARVIS, buddy," Dad said, as if he'd read Peter's mind. "And that we're hoping to start the trial missions soon."</p><p>"Oh yeah? How soon?" Peter asked.</p><p>"Probably within the next couple of weeks, little guy," said Steve. "The last time he spoke to us about it Colonel Phillips seemed pretty eager to get going, so I doubt it'll be any longer than that."</p><p>Peter gave a nod. "That's good," he said as he turned to Steve. "And you're not afraid of going into space?"</p><p>"No, I'm not," Steve answered. "From the looks of things you and your dad are gonna have us pretty well prepared, so I don't see what there is to be afraid of. I'm actually pretty excited."</p><p>"Yeah," Dad said as he gave Steve's leg a playful kick. "The big hotshot pilot's all excited to go where no one has gone before, hmm?"</p><p>"It does sound pretty cool when you put it like that," Peter said. He quirked an eyebrow in Dad's direction, asking a silent question that Dad answered with a slight shake of his head.</p><p>Steve knew about JARVIS, but he didn't know what Project Phoenix was yet.</p><p>"Soon, bud, okay?" Dad said softly. "Not too much longer."</p><p>Peter pursed his lips. "Uh huh." It wasn't that he was scared that Steve would refuse to carry out the mission once he found out. From what he and Steve had talked about during his visits it didn't seem like Steve wanted the war to continue on forever or anything, and especially now that he had Dad. But since what Peter and Dad were proposing was technically illegal, it was going to place a whole lot of pressure on Steve and his two teammates—and everyone who'd be taking care of things on the ground too—to get the job done before anyone high in the government figured out what was going on.</p><p>"So, Grandpa came by again yesterday," Peter said. He braced himself for Dad's reaction, relieved when he saw Steve reach for Dad's hand. "He… well… he was—"</p><p>"Was he drunk again?" Dad asked bitterly.</p><p>Peter let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. And… he got kinda loud at one point and Ms Sharon had to ask him to leave, so… I'm not sure when he's gonna be back."</p><p>"He didn't try and hurt you, did he?" Dad asked. "'Cause if he did, then—"</p><p>"No, Dad, nothing like that," said Peter. "He just—"</p><p>"Well, then it's about damn time that he left you alone," Dad grumbled. "It's only taken it how long to get through his thick head?"</p><p>"Dad, he was pretty upset, and…" Peter shook his head, swallowing a cough. "He said something about it being the anniversary of when he was released from prison or something, but… he was slurring his words so bad that I couldn't understand most of what he was saying, and… I still can't believe he'd managed to walk all the way here, he was shaking pretty bad too."</p><p>Dad bit his lip, his fingers white-knuckled around Steve's hand.</p><p>"Yeah, it was around this time of year that he got out," Dad said softly. "But that's still no excuse for what he did, Pete, and he had no business coming up here and putting you in danger. Absolutely none."</p><p>"I told you he didn't hurt me, Dad," said Peter. "I'm more worried about him. Aren't you at all—?"</p><p>"No, I'm not," Dad stated, his jaw doing that funky twitching thing that it always did when he was extra mad. "Howard's had way too many chances to not screw up over the years, and he's wasted every single one of 'em. I'm not giving him anymore."</p><p>"Tony," Steve said gently. "One of my ma's good friends cleans houses for a living. If you want, I could ask her to stop by the house in the next couple of days and check on your father for you?"</p><p>"Oh, that'd be awesome!" Peter said. "Thanks!"</p><p>"What? No!" Dad exclaimed. "I mean, just… hold on a second." He huffed out a sharp breath, frowning. "I'm not—"</p><p>"Tony, you told me yourself that your house was a mess the last few times you were there, and I'm sure my ma's friend would appreciate the business," added Steve. "She's an Air Corps widow too. Her husband was killed about a year ago."</p><p>Dad opened his mouth to protest, but whatever he was going to say died as soon as he looked at Steve. "All right, fine. But you better warn her that Howard's a pretty mean drunk and that he doesn't like strangers, so—"</p><p>"I'll offer to meet her there the first time," said Steve. "And if Howard gives us any trouble, well… I'll have my uniform on, so he probably won't. All right?"</p><p>"Mmm," Dad muttered. "Why do I feel like this won't be the first time you two will gang up on me?"</p><p>Steve's face completely fell. "Tony—"</p><p>"He's only kidding, Steve," Peter said. He shot Dad a pointed look. "Right?"</p><p>"If you say so, bud," said Dad. He jerked his head towards Peter's notebook. "You've got some more code for me to go through?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Peter said as he flipped through the pages, showing Dad the new code. "It's… well… it's just another three layers of encryption for JARVIS."</p><p>"That's to help prevent someone else trying to tamper with the program, right?" asked Steve. "Isn't that what you taught me?"</p><p>"Yep," Peter said proudly. Steve was definitely a fast learner. "From what you guys have said the people in Meridia are starting to catch up with our tech, so we’ve gotta make sure that no one'll be able to break into JARVIS's programming."</p><p>"Eh, I'm not too worried about that," said Dad. "Long as this guy comes home in one piece then I'll be okay." He brushed the hair from Peter's forehead. "Then we'll get you taken care of and we can all go home, hmm? Doesn't that sound good?"</p><p>A massive knot rose in Peter's throat, guilt stabbing him like a knife. Dad was so certain that he was going to be okay, but—</p><p><em>He's got Steve now, </em>Peter reminded himself. <em>Steve'll make sure he's okay.</em></p><p>"Sounds good to me," said Steve. "I can't wait."</p><p>"Me either," Peter said as he let out a huge yawn. He had been stressing all day about Dad and Steve, wondering if Dad was gonna keep being a dummy about things or if he'd suck it up and make up with him, and now that Peter knew they were okay all he wanted was to go to sleep.</p><p>"Here, bud," Dad said as he tore out the pages of code, handing the notebook back to him. "You get some sleep now, yeah? I'll bring you another notebook next time we come."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter murmured. "Are you guys gonna come again tomorrow?"</p><p>Steve reached for Peter's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Absolutely," he said. "We can come every single night if you want us to."</p><p>"When you're not out in space," Peter said.</p><p>"Yeah, that might be a bit difficult," Steve laughed. "But other than that, count on us around this time every night, okay?"</p><p>"Be like getting to kiss you goodnight again, right Pete?" said Dad. "I've missed it."</p><p>"Me too," said Peter. "Drive safe, okay?"</p><p>"I always do, little guy," said Steve. "Sleep well."</p><p>"'Night, buddy," Dad said as he kissed his forehead. "I love you."</p><p>"Uh huh. Love you too."</p><p>As Peter watched them go, he couldn't help but smile at how Steve's hand was resting comfortably on the small of Dad's back, as if he couldn't handle being near him without touching him in some way.</p><p>"That's 'cause he loves him," Peter said softly. He pressed the button on his bed that turned off his overhead lights and leaned back, trying to get comfortable. "Finally Dad has someone who loves him."</p><p>
  <em>And none too soon.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Steve made sure to have his Air Corps ID badge prominently displayed on the front of his jacket as he and Tony headed out to the parking lot, his heart the lightest it had felt in a long time. Peter's sweet face had lit up so brightly the moment he'd set eyes on the two of them that it had been impossible not to feel giddy himself.</p><p>"Well, I'm pretty sure that we just made Pete's month," Tony said once they arrived at the motorcycle. "Did you see the look on his face when we walked in together?"</p><p>"I did," Steve said with a smile. He slid his hands around Tony's waist, drawing him close. "Are you sure you're okay about what I said about your father? I don't want to overstep anything."</p><p>"Nah, hon, it's okay," said Tony. "If it helps Pete to not have to worry about him then I'll find a way to be okay with it. Your ma's friend though, she's probably gonna need hazard pay or something once she sees how bad the house is, and—"</p><p>"And I don't mind that at all," Steve said quickly. "Don't even worry about the cost."</p><p>Tony's eyebrows knitted together into a frown. "Steve, I'm not here to mooch off of you. That's not—"</p><p>"It's not mooching if I offer it as a gift," Steve countered. He dipped his head, kissing Tony softly on the lips. "Which is exactly what it is. Now, if I just happened to hope that even with a freshly cleaned house you'll still want to spend your nights with me, then I suppose that might be just a bit selfish on my part, but—"</p><p>He was cut off by Tony's kiss, hard and demanding. "There's no place I'd rather be, honey."</p><p>"Really?" Desire was already coursing through Steve's body at MACH-1, and he was cursing the fact that he still had to drive them home. "I'll—there's room in my footlocker, so you could store some of your clothes in there if you want. And I could bring you into the locker room with me to shower in the mornings, and—"</p><p>"Steve," Tony said softly, cupping Steve's cheeks in his hands. "It's getting late, and you have another patrol in the morning. Why don't we just get back to the base, hmm? We can work all that out tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yes. Yes, that's a good idea," Steve said with a stuttered nod. "I'm—I can grab you an extra cadet's uniform when we get back for you to wear tomorrow, 'cause—"</p><p>"I'm not planning on wearing much once we get back, honey," Tony whispered. Then he pressed a kiss to the underside of Steve's jaw, smirking when Steve's knees nearly buckled.</p><p>"I love how sensitive you are in certain spots, <em>Captain," </em>Tony said as he kissed the same spot again, pulling a low moan from Steve's throat. "And I intend to discover more of those places tonight, as long as you're up for it."</p><p>"Oh gods, Tony," Steve rasped. "There's nothing I want more."</p><p>"Good." He planted another kiss on Steve's neck. "Then let's get back, hmm?"</p><p>With an audible gulp, Steve gave a nod, pressing one final kiss to Tony's lips before climbing onto the motorcycle, heat tearing through his chest as Tony climbed up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.</p><p>"Ready?" he asked over his shoulder.</p><p>"Yep," answered Tony. "Let's go."</p><p>It was a good thing Steve knew the route between the hospital and the base as well as he did, because driving with Tony practically plastered to his back was so intoxicating that Steve almost felt like he was drunk, something he had never before experienced. The Project Rebirth serum had made it such that he was unable to get drunk on conventional alcoholic beverages, and before the serum he had always been too sick to want to indulge in anything more than the occasional sip or two. He'd barely pulled into his barracks parking spot and cut the bike's engine before Tony was grabbing his hand and practically dragging him towards the door, with the two of them barely making it inside his room before Tony's hands were on him, sliding underneath his t-shirt.</p><p>"Tony," he said on a gasp as he took the hint and tugged off his shirt, tossing it behind him and kicking off his shoes as Tony pulled off his own shirt. "Sweetheart, I—"</p><p>"Don't you <em>ever</em> pull something as stupid as that again, you hear me?" Tony said as he yanked Steve to him, his mouth kissing and nipping all across Steve's pecs and collarbones as his blunt fingernails scraped lightly across Steve's back. "What if your buddy Bucky hadn't been up there with you, hmm? What if he hadn't realised that you weren't right and you ended up getting shot down?" He sucked in a deep breath, pulling back to stare into Steve's eyes, the sight of his mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips almost too beautiful to behold. "You've got me hooked on you now, okay? And you've got Pete to think about too, and neither of us can afford to lose you."</p><p>"I won't," Steve said firmly. He caught Tony's hands, pressing both palms against his heaving chest, over his heart. "I won't, Tony, I promise. I love you so much, there's nothing I'm going to do to jeopardise it."</p><p>Tony's beautiful brown eyes were shiny as he nodded. "Good," he said softly. "Then take me to bed, <em>Captain."</em></p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said just before he claimed Tony's lips. He moaned into the kiss as Tony's hands glided down his bare back to his ass, squeezing it as he slid his arm underneath Tony's knees to pick him up and place him on the bed.</p><p>"Never thought I'd enjoy being carried around so much," Tony said as Steve crawled up to hover over him, carefully removing his glasses. "But damn if it isn't sexy as hell when you do it."</p><p>"I'll carry you anywhere," Steve said as he trailed kisses all along Tony's cheek and jaw as Tony took hold of his shoulders. "Tell me what you want, sweetheart. Tell me how I can make you feel good."</p><p>"<em>Steve,"</em> Tony moaned as Steve kissed back to his lips, his tongue slipping inside his mouth to taste him as Tony rolled his hips up against him. "I'm just—I just want you, honey."</p><p>"You've got me," Steve answered as he started fumbling with the button on Tony's pants. He was so hard it was almost painful, and his desperation wasn't helping his shaking fingers at all, which once again Tony seemed to notice as he stilled Steve's hand.</p><p>"Let me," he murmured. He tapped Steve's shoulder, indicating for him to roll onto his back. "Get your pants and boxers off for me, yeah?"</p><p>Steve huffed out a ragged breath as he stripped off his jeans and underwear, shocked he didn't tear them in his haste as Tony slid off his own, tossing them onto the floor in a heap.</p><p>"Gods, you're just so fucking <em>hot,"</em> Tony said as he grabbed the lube from Steve's bedside table and moved to straddle Steve's hips, their erections sliding against each other as he settled over him. Heat blazed through Steve's body as Tony took his hand, squeezing some of the lube into his palm before guiding it between them.</p><p>"Like that, yeah?" he said as he curled Steve's fingers around both their cocks. "Feel good?"</p><p>"Oohh," Steve groaned as he stroked them together, the slick slide of Tony's cock against his sending sharp bursts of pleasure rocketing up his spine. "Tony, it feels so incredible, I'm not—I'm not gonna last long!"</p><p>"Shh, it's okay, honey," Tony said, kissing him softly on the lips. "I'm gonna take good care of you tonight. Put that super soldier libido of yours to good use."</p><p>"Tony!" Steve choked out as the pleasure ramped up to nearly unbearable levels. "Tony, I'm gonna—!"</p><p>He was cut off as his climax slammed into him like a missile, the intensity of it stealing his breath as he came all over his stomach, barely aware of Tony's lips peppering kisses across his neck and chest.</p><p>"You are so damn pretty when you come," Tony murmured once he'd regained some minimal use of his senses. "I can't believe I'm the only one who's ever gotten to see you like this."</p><p>"And the only one who ever will, if I have any say," Steve said, barely able to form the words. Through bleary eyes he watched as Tony rolled onto his side, his rock-hard erection pressing insistently against Steve's hip.</p><p>"Tony, you didn't—"</p><p>"No, no, it's okay," Tony whispered. "Unlike you I can't get it up again more than every couple hours, so I'm just gonna let you have some fun for awhile first. Sound good?"</p><p>Steve whimpered as Tony's calloused hand slid down his messy stomach to curl around his cock, already starting to harden again. "Are you—are you sure?"</p><p>Tony's eyes gleamed as he grinned. "Oh yeah," he said as he brushed another kiss across Steve's lips. "Hold on tight, baby. We're just getting started."</p><hr/><p>"JARVIS, run another pre-flight check for me again, yeah?" Tony asked, nervously adjusting his headset for the umpteenth time.</p><p>"As you wish, sir," answered JARVIS. "However, as I have already stated, all pre-flight checks on the three space-faring aircraft have come back clear." There was a short pause as he completed the ordered check. "Pre-flight check complete. As of this moment the mission is a go."</p><p>"Copy that." Tony sighed as he rechecked his brand-new data pad, glancing over at Colonel Phillips who was leaning back in his chair about two metres away. Rhodey and Captain Wilson were also present in what Tony had named the Control Room, sitting off to the side.</p><p>"Don't look at me, you're the expert on all this stuff," Phillips said. "If your artificial smart-talking thing-a-ma-jig says that they're ready, then I've got no choice but to trust you."</p><p>"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Tony grumbled, shooting Rhodey a raised eyebrow. He pressed his palm to his chest, feeling the rapid flutter of his heart as he rechecked the readings on his data pad yet again.</p><p>"Everything looks good here," he muttered, more for himself than anyone. He really had no reason to believe that the mission wouldn't be a roaring success. JARVIS had proven that he could function flawlessly during the two weeks of full-mission simulator sessions completed by Steve and his teammates Bucky and Carol, and so with the final blessing for the initial trial mission given just three days before by General O'Brien, the time had come for Tony and everyone else to find out if Project Phoenix actually had wings.</p><p>"All right," Tony said, clearing his throat. "All pilots of the Phoenix aircraft, let's do a comm check."</p><p>"Phoenix One, standing by," replied Steve, his calm voice hiding the nervousness that only Tony could hear. He had held Tony so tightly the night before that it had been hard for him to breathe at times, but Tony hadn't minded in the least. Especially since when they'd driven to visit Peter earlier in the evening, Peter had asked him if he could stop calling him Steve and start calling him Papa instead.</p><p>Steve had instantly broken into tears, practically leaping to envelope Peter in such a careful but intense hug that Tony had barely been able to contain his own tears. Watching his boys—<em>his boys!</em>—bond with each other over their love of drawing and all things outdoors had been one of the greatest joys of Tony's life, and he literally could not wait until all three of them could be together as a true family.</p><p>"Copy, Phoenix One," replied Tony.</p><p>"Phoenix Two, standing by," said Barnes.</p><p>"Phoenix Three, standing by," said Carol, her voice alight with barely-contained excitement. Out of the corner of his eyes Tony saw Rhodey smile, his pride momentarily overcoming his own nervousness.</p><p>"Copy that, Phoenixes Two and Three," said Tony. "All Phoenix aircraft, you have a go. Captain Rogers, it's your call."</p><p>"Sounds good," Steve answered, strong and clear. "Takeoff in T-minus three minutes."</p><p>"Three minutes," Tony repeated with a nod. "Copy that."</p><p>From the Control Room, Tony tapped his fingers on his data pad as he watched the three aircraft fire up their engines and slowly roll out of the hangar, switching on the brand-new viewscreens Phillips had ordered installed in the Control Room to monitor the runway and takeoff points once they were out of sight.</p><p>The extra-atmospheric engine on the X-302 aircraft had been designed specifically to function during the normal aircraft takeoff procedures. Tony had calculated the time to ignite the third engine down to the millisecond with JARVIS's help, and it had functioned perfectly in every single one of the simulator sessions.</p><p><em>So… it should be fine,</em> Tony thought. <em>Everything should be fine.</em></p><p>"All Phoenix aircraft prepare for takeoff on my mark, fifteen second intervals," Steve said over the comm. "Takeoff in three… two… one… mark!"</p><p>"Copy that, One," replied Barnes and Carol.</p><p>Tony flinched as the dull whine of Steve's aircraft engine suddenly rose in volume and pitch. Less than a second later his aircraft began shooting down the runway, taking off roughly three seconds later as Tony checked his data pad, mentally counting down the time before the space-faring engine ignited.</p><p>"Takeoff looks good, Phoenix One," Tony said. "You have a go."</p><p>"Copy, Control," said Steve. "Third engine ignition in three… two… one…"</p><p>The sonic <em>boom</em> that followed was probably the loudest Tony had ever heard, causing the entire hangar to shimmy as Steve's excited voice came over the comm.</p><p>"Oh boy, Control this is… well… this is just really damn fast!" he cried.</p><p>"But you're good, One?" Tony asked, quickly checking his data pad as Barnes took off from the runway. "JARVIS says that everything's okay, but—"</p><p>"Nope, I'm good," answered Steve. "Numbers are good, JARVIS says I'll reach the atmosphere in fourteen seconds."</p><p>"Shit, this is one for the ages, Stevie!" shouted Captain Barnes as his third engine ignited. "Oh man, this is so awesome!"</p><p>"Captain Rogers will be exiting the atmosphere in exactly five seconds, sir," JARVIS said. "Four… three… two… one… enter. Reacquisition of radio signal will occur in approximately forty-five seconds."</p><p>"Copy that," Tony murmured. He glanced back at Rhodey and Wilson just as Steve's comm went completely silent, indicating that he'd broken through the atmospheric barrier. Thirty seconds later both Barnes and Carol went silent as well, just on time.</p><p>"Be about forty seconds until we hear from Steve," he said.</p><p>"Well, I'm surprised you can't still hear Bucky with all the whooping and hollering he was doing," Wilson said, laced with amusement. "Guy's gonna scream himself hoarse before he even gets out there."</p><p>"Better that than screams of horror, I suppose," said Rhodey.</p><p>"Yeah, probably," agreed Wilson. "Did Carol get any sleep last night?"</p><p>Rhodey grinned. "Oh, hell no. She sleeps like garbage on a normal day, so… maybe a couple hours or so, but she's always been like a ball of pure energy. I can barely keep up sometimes."</p><p>"Yeah, but that's what makes her such a damn good pilot," said Wilson. "Gods know she's had to work her ass off to get where she is."</p><p>Tony's eyebrows shot up at Wilson's remarks. For someone who'd been in the running to fly the Phoenix missions as well, he definitely didn't seem like he was bitter about the fact that he hadn't qualified.</p><p>"Reacquisition of signal in five seconds, sir," JARVIS cut in. "Four… three… two… one…"</p><p>"Steve?" Tony blurted out, all attempts at professionalism temporarily forgotten. "Steve, are you there?"</p><p>Three heartbeats later Steve's beautiful voice came over the radio. "Phoenix One has made it safely it into space, Control. And oh man, what a sight this is! It's incredible! I wish you all could see this!"</p><p>Tony huffed out the breath he'd been holding, turning with wide eyes to Phillips, who gave him an approving nod.</p><p>"That's really, <em>really </em>good to hear, Phoenix One," Tony said. He checked over his datapad, breathing out another small sigh of relief when he saw that Barnes and Carol had emerged as well, and that all three aircraft had assumed their calculated orbital positions. "All three orbits look good from here."</p><p>"Yeah, but I'm not sure what's got Stevie all excited," said Barnes. "There's really not much out here. It's kinda just a bunch of… black."</p><p>"Well, it is called space, Captain Barnes, not vast quantities of stuff," replied Tony. "Now, JARVIS will alert you when it's time to release your trial satellites, so—"</p><p>"I just released mine, Control," said Steve. "Continuing in the standard orbit."</p><p>"Captain Rogers' satellite deployment was completed without incident, sir," JARVIS said. "Satellite will self-destruct once I have determined that Captain Danvers has proceeded out of range."</p><p>"Copy that, J." Tony had created what he'd called 'practise satellites', which while similar in size and weight to the real Phoenix devices would self-destruct so as to not cause issues with the deployment of the actual functioning satellites later on. It had been essential for him to test whether or not the deployment mechanisms would function properly in a vacuum, and judging by his readings and Steve's comments, they had worked just fine.</p><p>"Satellite deployed," Captain Barnes said a few minutes later. "Orbit unchanged."</p><p>Tony sniffed, shooting Captain Wilson a brief smile. "Copy that."</p><p>"My target's approaching in three minutes," Carol said. "Preparing to deploy satellite."</p><p>"Sounds good, Phoenix Three," said Tony. "Everything looks fine from here."</p><p>"Copy that."</p><p>The remainder of the roughly sixty-five minute mission passed without incident, with Steve remarking every few minutes or so about how beautiful it was to view the planet from space and Bucky continuing to tease him about it.</p><p>"Okay Control, JARVIS says I'm three minutes away from my go/no-go point," Steve said. "I'm running my final calculations now."</p><p>"Copy that, One," replied Tony. "Let me know when you've got 'em."</p><p>"My numbers are matching right up with JARVIS's," Steve said a moment later. "Looks like we're good."</p><p>"Copy that," said Tony. "Well done, JARVIS."</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>"Looks like I'm about four minutes behind Steve," said Captain Barnes. "And my numbers match up with JARVIS's too."</p><p>"Copy that, Two," Tony said. "Steve, how's it looking?"</p><p>"It's looking great, Control," replied Steve. "I'm gonna be pretty anxious to get back up here. Approaching go/no-go in five… four… three… two… one… mark."</p><p>Tony gulped as Steve's radio signal went dead, trying to distract himself with Barnes and Carol's readings as he waited for Steve's aircraft to get through the turbulent atmosphere. He had set JARVIS to warn him if Steve—or any of the pilots—had somehow missed his mark and while no such warning occurred, he wouldn't be absolutely sure until he heard Steve's voice again.</p><p>"Control, this is Phoenix One," Steve said, exactly on the forty-five second mark. "On my way back to the barn."</p><p>"Oh, that's so good," Tony said in a rush, not even caring when Phillips shot him a goofy look. "We'll see you when you get here."</p><p>"Leave it to Stevie to show us all how it's done," said Barnes. "Approaching my go/no-go in five… four… three… two… one… mark."</p><p>"Congratulations, Rogers," Carol said. "Looks like I'll be seeing you in about four minutes."</p><p>"Copy that, Danvers," said Steve, just as his X-302 pulled back into the hangar. "Keep a firm hand on the stick as you come through, there's a pretty wicked shimmy at first, but nothing we haven't handled before."</p><p>"Thanks for the advice," replied Carol. "Approaching go/no-go in five… four… three… two… one…"</p><p>But before she could conclude her countdown, the hangar area was rocked by a bone-shattering, near deafening <em>boom, </em>the entire area lit up by a single beam of yellow so bright that everyone in the Control Room yelped in pain.</p><p>"Oh <em>shit! </em>That was Bucky!" cried Captain Wilson as he bolted for the door.</p><p>"JARVIS!" Tony gasped, trying to open his stinging eyes to decipher the readings on his datapad, which were fluctuating all over the place. "JARVIS, what the hell—?"</p><p>"Captain Barnes's aircraft was attacked by an unknown energy beam just as it emerged from the atmosphere, sir," said JARVIS. "I am at this time unable to determine if—"</p><p>"All emergency crews to the runway!" Phillips barked into the hangar PA system. "Alert the hospital that we've got an injured pilot coming in, condition as of yet unknown!" Then he whipped around, pointing at Rhodey. "Get on the comm to the backup patrol pilots, I want them in the air ASAP! Tell them that they have permission to fire at anything that even dares to show its face, you got that?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," Rhodey said, his hands shaking as he reached for a spare headset. Tony knew he had to be worried sick for Carol, who still had about fifteen seconds left on her radio blackout.</p><p>"JARVIS, is Bucky still alive?" demanded Steve. "What's his condition?"</p><p>"I am detecting a heartbeat, Captain, but I am currently unable to give a further assessment of Captain Barnes's condition," JARVIS said. "Please be advised, the aircraft landing gear apparatus has been severely damaged, including all backup systems. I will attempt to keep it level during the descent, but I'm afraid the landing will not be smooth."</p><p>"Long as you keep him alive, JARVIS," Tony said in a rush. "Just keep him alive."</p><p>"That I will, sir."</p><p>"Backup pilots are scrambling now, Colonel," said Rhodey. "Time to airborne is two minutes."</p><p>"That won't be fast enough!" Tony rasped, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest. "We've still got Carol coming in, and—"</p><p>"Phoenix Three is clear!" Carol called over the comm, nearly bringing Rhodey to his knees. "What the hell's going on down there?"</p><p>"We'll fill you in when you land, okay?" Rhodey said. "Proceed to the secondary hangar."</p><p>"Copy that, Control."</p><p>"Colonel!" Tony said as he grabbed onto the side of the console. His mind was racing so fast that he felt dizzy. "Colonel, what the hell <em>was</em> that?"</p><p>But Phillips just pursed his lips, more angry than Tony had ever seen him.</p><p>"I don't know, Tony," he said. "But we're sure as hell gonna find out."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </em> </strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>Please check out this absolutely gorgeous fan art <a href="https://monireh89.tumblr.com/post/619181194697900032/i-saw-a-poster-fo-chris-evans-appletv-series">HERE</a> 💖 Thank you so very much monireh89 💖 </strong> </em>
</p><hr/><p>Steve's heart was pounding like a drum as he cut the engines of his aircraft, tearing off his helmet and sliding the cockpit open before it had even come to a complete stop.</p><p>"Captain!" the grounds person cried as he attempted to slide the ladder over to Steve's aircraft, which Steve ignored as he jumped down to the floor. The hard cement rattled every bone in his tense body as he looked out towards the runway, barely able to make out Bucky's burning aircraft as it approached, listing badly to the left. He couldn't seem to get his eyes to work right. Everything was blurry, and there were funny-looking circles hovering around objects that were messing with his centre of gravity.</p><p>"Have emergency services been notified?" he demanded as he tried in vain to blink the circles away.</p><p>"Yes, sir!" replied the grounds person, a sergeant, judging by the rank insignia marks on his uniform. "Fire is standing by, and the emergency transport said they'll be here in three minutes."</p><p>"Good. That’s... that’s good.” Steve squeezed his eyes closed, grunting against the pain as he sucked in a deep, shaky breath. His mind was still racing at MACH-2 as he tried to process what had just happened. The mission had seemed to have been a complete success. All three of the aircraft had functioned perfectly, he, Bucky, and Carol had all fallen into their orbits and deployed their satellites without incident, and JARVIS had made sure that Steve met his go/no-go point with no issues at all.</p><p>And then, only a few seconds after Steve had emerged back inside the planet's atmosphere, all hell suddenly broke loose. That yellow beam—the trajectory of which he was too upset to calculate at the moment but had definitely come from Meridian airspace—had been so unnaturally bright that it had temporarily blinded him, forcing him to rely on JARVIS to prep his aircraft for landing. Steve had barely been able to regain enough of his eyesight in time to actually land, something he had never before experienced.</p><p>It was the first time that one of Steve's physical enhancements had ever been used against him. If it hadn't been for JARVIS… both he and Bucky would've likely been killed.</p><p>"Did you see what happened?" he demanded of the poor sergeant, who was staring up at Steve with wide eyes and raised hands, as if he was afraid that Steve would suddenly keel over. "The beam, did you see where it came from?"</p><p>The sergeant shook his head. "No, sir," he replied. "I'm so sorry, I was in here prepping to receive your aircraft, and… all I saw was a bright flash of yellow."</p><p>"It's all right," Steve said quickly. "Don't worry—"</p><p>The ear-splitting <em>screeeech</em> of a badly-landing aircraft cut him off, and Steve took off running towards the runway just as Bucky's X-302 skidded to a stop. Air lodged in Steve's throat as he caught up to the aircraft, the cockpit and engines covered in flames as members of the fire brigade smothered them with their fire-suppression foam, the billowing black smoke burrowing deep into Steve's lungs with every single one of his ragged breaths.</p><p>"Bucky!" he cried, choking against the putrid fumes as he pounded on the canopy, trying to focus in on his friend. "Bucky, can you hear me?"</p><p>"Sir, the intense heat from the fires has sealed the canopy shut!" shouted one of the emergency team members. He tugged on Steve's arm, attempting to pull him away. "We need you to step back, we're waiting on the salvage equipment now!"</p><p>"No! He won't last that long!" Steve shouted back. He was dangerously close to panicking, his smoke-filled lungs pulling way too many memories of his childhood illness from the deep recesses of his mind. "The fire's sucked all the oxygen out of his cockpit! He'll suffocate!"</p><p>"Sir, I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do!" the man protested, which Steve ignored as he clambered on top of the aircraft's nose, the blazing hot metal quickly burning through the soles of his boots as he attempted to wedge his fingers down inside the canopy's seal.</p><p>"C'mon, Buck," Steve murmured as he pulled up with all his might, the burning canopy searing right through the fabric of his gloves and into his skin. "C'mon, Bucky, don't die on me now! Not now!" He let out an agonising grunt of pain as the canopy slid about a centimetre, just barely enough for him to get his fingertips down a bit deeper. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye Steve could see a crowd forming behind the mass of fire trucks, see Sam Wilson being forcibly held back by one of the burly firefighters as he screamed Bucky's name over and over. Burning hot tears stung Steve's eyes, Sam's desperate pleas nearly cracking his heart in two as he gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain radiating throughout his arms and legs and his smoke-filled lungs as he slowly worked the canopy open.</p><p>Finally, just as he feared that not even his strength would be enough to get the damn thing open, the canopy suddenly sprung up like the hood of a car, almost knocking him right in the chin. Righting himself, Steve immediately reached inside, tearing Bucky's helmet from his head and ripping his harness off, the bloody, mangled state of his left arm nearly stopping Steve in his tracks. With a firm shake of his head he slid his arms around Bucky's waist, hauling him up and onto his shoulder as the emergency crews raced towards the aircraft with a stretcher.</p><p>"It's gonna be okay, Buck. You're gonna be okay," Steve murmured as he carefully laid him down, stepping back to allow Sam to take his place at Bucky's side.</p><p>"Thank you, Steve!" Sam gasped, his face ashen and streaked with tears. "Thank you for saving him!"</p><p>"No, no, don't thank me. I didn't—I couldn't—" Steve stammered, watching dazedly as Sam took Bucky's limp right hand in his as they rolled the stretcher towards the emergency vehicle.</p><p>"I didn't do anything. I just—I just—" Steve attempted to take a step, halting when he felt a hand curl around his arm, gently tugging him back as Bucky was loaded into the emergency vehicle, with Sam climbing in behind him. "I didn't do anything… I just—I couldn't—"</p><p>"Steve," Tony said softly as he led Steve over to the grassy area next to the runway. "You're in shock, honey, but it's okay. You're okay."</p><p>"What?" Steve said, gasping as the pain in his hands and feet suddenly ramped up to almost unbearable levels. He looked over at Tony, trying to blink away the shimmering halos surrounding his glasses as Tony carefully guided him to the ground, wrapping him in his arms.</p><p>"Tony!" Steve choked out as he clung to his beloved, finally allowing his tears to flow. "Tony, what—what <em>happened?"</em></p><p>"I don't know, honey," Tony murmured as he cupped Steve's cheek, kissing his forehead. "But we're gonna figure it out, I promise you."</p><p>Steve shook his head, his tears dripping down to wet Tony's shirt. He attempted to curl his hands into fists, letting out a sharp hiss of pain when he couldn't. "That beam… it would've killed us. It would've killed Bucky and me, and—Tony, I couldn't—I couldn't <em>see</em>… my eyes, they were <em>useless, </em>and… if JARVIS hadn't—if Peter hadn't created him, we—we would've—both of us, Tony, we would've—"</p><p>"Shh, honey, <em>please,</em>" Tony begged. He brushed the sweat-dampened hair from Steve's forehead, pressing another kiss there. His arms were trembling around Steve as he held him close, his ear pressed over Tony's heart. "You don't have to tell me how close I came to losing you. Gods, Steve, I don't—I can't even think about it. I can't—what would I tell Pete, huh? How could I ever explain that to him? He just got you, he can't lose you now!"</p><p>Steve sniffed, swiping at his near-useless eyes. "I'm—I don't know, sweetheart, and I'm—I'm so sorry. I didn't—Tony, I'm—" He lifted his head as the emergency vehicle's siren began to sound, whisking his best friend off to the hospital. Steve had felt him breathe in as he'd carried him out of the aircraft so he knew Bucky was still alive, but he had no way of knowing how badly he was hurt or if he'd ever be able to fly again.</p><p>
  <em>If he'll ever be able to fly again. Oh gods, what if he can never fly again?</em>
</p><p>"Okay, well, enough about that now," Tony said. "We've got more important things to worry about first."</p><p>"Like Bucky," Steve murmured. Fresh tears stung his eyes, recalling Bucky's mangled arm as he hauled him out of his busted-up cockpit. <em>What if he can never fly again?</em></p><p>"And you," Tony said, his voice wobbling ever-so-slightly. He frowned, pressing a hard kiss to Steve's temple. "Babe, I know you probably don't wanna hear this, but we need to get you to the hospital too, okay? I've been trying to get your gloves off of your hands ever since we came over here, and… well… honey, they're fused to your skin. The fabric burned into your skin, and from the melted state of your boots I'm pretty sure that your feet are just as bad, so—"</p><p>"You—you have?" Steve asked.</p><p>Tony grimly nodded. "Yeah. And the fact that you didn't even notice tells me that you're a lot worse off than I thought, so—"</p><p>"My vision's still wonky too," Steve admitted. "I'm—I'm—"</p><p>"It's okay, Tony, I can drive you both to the hospital," Colonel Rhodes said as he suddenly appeared next to them. Steve apparently <em>was </em>out of it; he couldn't remember the last time he'd allowed someone to sneak up on him like that. "Captain, do you think you can walk?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod, curling his arm around Tony's shoulders. "Yes, sir, I think—I think so." It took nearly all of his remaining strength to push himself up to his feet with Tony's help, sucking in a deep breath as he looked over at Colonel Rhodes. "Where's—where's Carol? She's not—she didn't—?"</p><p>"No, no, she's fine," replied Rhodes. "Soon as she came through I told her what happened, so she decided to stay up there with the backup patrollers. She's attempting to locate the source of the beam that hit Captain Barnes, but—"</p><p>"She won't find it," Steve cut in. "They're not gonna fire it again, not now when there's all kinds of eyes looking for it."</p><p>"Even if they wanted to I doubt that they could fire it again," said Tony. "Something like that would require a ton of energy, which they wouldn't be able to generate again so soon."</p><p>Rhodes let out a sigh as he and Tony wrapped their arms around Steve's waist. "Yeah, she and I both figured that, but… well, you know Carol. She's not gonna stay here on the ground if she thinks she can be useful up there."</p><p>"Yeah, I know it," answered Steve. He took a single step, whimpering at the pain in his burned feet as Tony's arm tightened around him.</p><p>"Easy, honey, okay? We're not in any hurry here."</p><p>Steve nodded as he took another step, biting down hard on his bottom lip to keep from crying out as the three of them slowly made their way towards Colonel Rhodes' car. He felt absolutely useless as Tony helped him inside, fastening his safety belt and cradling his damaged hands as Rhodes drove towards the hospital.</p><p>"Stay here," Colonel Rhodes said once they pulled into the parking lot. "I'll go and grab a wheelchair."</p><p>"No!" Steve tried to protest as Colonel Rhodes exited the car, walking in his carefully measured steps towards the emergency entrance. Tony had explained to Steve that he and Peter had designed the brace that Colonel Rhodes wore to stabilise his damaged spine, and that Tony had had to get special permission from General O'Brien to be allowed to use the materials he'd needed for its construction. When Steve had asked him why the general had been so reluctant to allow him to build the brace, Tony couldn't give him an answer.</p><p>Yet another thing that just didn't add up, the pile of which seemed to be growing larger with every passing day.</p><p>"Honey, there's no shame in asking for help when you need it," Tony said. "And you're only hurting your feet more by trying to walk on them."</p><p>"Yeah, I know, but…" Steve couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, couldn't bring himself to admit that the last time he'd needed a wheelchair had been only a couple of weeks before his ma's fateful conversation with Chester Phillips, begging for Steve to be allowed to receive the Project Rebirth serum.</p><p>It had been a particularly bad spring for allergy and asthma sufferers that year, and Steve had been having even more trouble breathing than usual for most of it, blowing through his expensive nebuliser treatments and rescue inhalers in a frantic attempt to keep himself from having to be admitted to the hospital. Ma had had an especially rough few days as well, pulling three double shifts in a row as she tried to get ahead on some of their neverending bills, so Steve had tried to hide his growing distress, keeping himself shut up in his room most of the time so as to not worry her. It wasn't until a few hours after he had completely run out of his medicine that he realised he was literally gasping for air, barely able to drag his weak, skinny body from his room to the kitchen before collapsing against the very same table where Ma was trying to balance their books.</p><p>He didn't remember all that much from the ensuing hours. He could vaguely recall his mother dragging him out to her car—calling for an emergency transport was well beyond their meagre budget—strapping on his safety belt, and slapping him lightly on the cheek, warning him very sternly that under no circumstances could he fall asleep. Steve's lungs were so tight it was as though they'd been caught in a vise, his throat so swollen and sore that he couldn't breathe out. He had been told by his doctors numerous times over the years that if he ever reached the point where he couldn't seem to exhale that he was in very serious trouble, and the thought that he was literally suffocating from his own built-up carbon dioxide as his ma drove only made his panic that much worse.</p><p>As it was, by the time they arrived at the hospital and Ma ran in for the wheelchair, Steve was closer to death than he'd ever been before. He could only recall a few moments of consciousness over the next several days as the medical people worked around the clock to loosen the thick, rock-hard mucus that had become lodged deep down inside his small airways so they could feed his oxygen-starved lungs. Steve shuddered as he recalled the claustrophobic oxygen tent, the eerie <em>hiss </em>of the near-constant nebulisers, the hushed words of the doctors as they struggled to get his blood oxygen levels back to normal, the various respiratory therapists who took turns pounding on his chest to help loosen the mucus, and the haunted look in his ma's eyes as she remained by his bedside, barking out any order that she felt the other nurses happened to miss.</p><p>That hospital stay had ended up lasting over a week, and once it was over, Steve swore that he would never, ever go through that again.</p><p>He would either be chosen to receive the serum, or he would die. It was as simple as that.</p><p>"Tony," he murmured, tipping his head back against the seat as a wave of dizziness washed over him. The adrenaline rush that he'd had directly following the accident was now in a massive nosedive, and the fact that he still couldn't see correctly wasn't helping. "Tony, I don't—I don't want Peter to see me like this. I'm—I don't—"</p><p>
  <em>I don't want him to see me so weak. I'm not supposed to be weak anymore.</em>
</p><p>Not surprisingly, Tony was able to read his mind.</p><p>"Don't worry about that now, hon," Tony said gently. "Let's just get you fixed up first, yeah?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod, running his tongue over his bone-dry lips.</p><p>"Yeah. Okay."</p><p>"All right, Captain, in ya go," said Colonel Rhodes as he opened the car door, holding out his hand for Steve's arm. Tony quickly jumped out, hurrying around to help Steve into the wheelchair. With his poor vision he hadn't realised that Colonel Rhodes had brought him around to the special emergency entrance reserved for military personnel, so at least any of the people who saw Steve would know why he was there. As soon as Tony wheeled him inside three doctors sprang into action, setting up a solution to soak the gloves from his hands and cutting the boots from his feet as an ophthalmology specialist was called in to examine his eyes.</p><p>And once again, the stark contrasts between military hospital care and civilian care were made blatantly obvious. As a civilian, Steve had always been pushed to the back of the line, one time nearly passing out on the floor of the emergency room as he and Ma waited for him to be seen, whereas now it seemed as though the doctors and nurses had been specifically waiting for him to come in.</p><p>Which they very well might've been, especially if Colonel Phillips had called ahead to warn them. But still… the thought that Peter had been forced to wait for almost eight years to have a life-saving surgery while numerous medical professionals were just sitting around on the off chance that an Air Corps member would become sick or injured… it just wasn't right.</p><p>"Tony," he said, gritting his teeth as one of the nurses finally peeled the destroyed glove from his right hand. "Tony, please, don't let Peter see me like this. I can't—I don't want him to see me like this."</p><p>"Steve, I told you not to worry about that," Tony said with a sigh. "Rhodey's up there with him now, okay? He wanted to make sure that Pete heard what happened from one of us instead of someone who didn't know him."</p><p>Steve whimpered as someone took his left hand, plucking out bits of fabric from his damaged skin with a set of sharp forceps.</p><p>"No, sweetheart, <em>please!" </em>he begged, hating himself for sounding so pathetic. "I don't want him to worry about me, and—"</p><p>"Shh, honey," Tony whispered, brushing his fingers across Steve's chapped lips. "Rhodey'll know what to say, okay? Pete's only gonna worry more if he hears that something happened without any of the important details attached."</p><p>Steve huffed, giving a reluctant nod. He really had no right to be begging Tony anything regarding Peter. As much as he loved Peter, Tony still knew him far better than he did, and Steve needed to trust his judgment.</p><p>"He's not gonna think any less of you, so you can let go of that dumb idea right the hell now," Tony said firmly. "Pete's not shallow, babe. Not in the least."</p><p>"I know he's not shallow," Steve answered. "He's anything but shallow, I—I just—"</p><p>"You just need to hush so they can fix you up, okay?" said Tony. "We'll go up and see him as soon as we can."</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"Steve, I said, hush!"</p><p>It took almost three hours for the doctors to clear all the burnt remnants of Steve's gloves and boots from his damaged skin, soaking and re-soaking his hands and feet in a solution that smelled remarkably like oranges, for some strange reason. Steve had experienced minor burns in the past, while cooking or when he'd stayed outside in the sun for a bit too long, but they hadn't been anything like this. While the doctors worked it was all he could do to keep from whimpering, biting his bottom lip so hard that Tony had to work it loose from his teeth multiple times, warning him that he was going to draw blood if he didn't let go. Fluids and pain medicine flowed into two separate intravenous lines in his arms, but since the medical staff didn't quite understand Steve's increased metabolic requirements the medicine barely was able to take the edge off the pain, prompting Tony at one point to demand that the doctors increase his dosage.</p><p>Finally, after the ophthalmologist announced that Steve's damaged eyes would require him being grounded for three days and his hands and feet were smeared with some kind of stinky burn cream that stung like hell and wrapped in thick bandages, he was discharged out to the waiting room, where he and Tony found Sam Wilson pacing back and forth.</p><p>"Steve!" Sam said as Tony wheeled Steve in, feeling more foolish than he had in years with his four useless limbs and dark wraparound glasses. "You're gonna be okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. This all looks a lot worse than it is," Steve said. No sense in having Sam worrying about him. "Any news on Bucky?"</p><p>Sam's lower lip started to shake, his dark eyes filling with tears. "He's—he's in surgery," he whispered. "The docs… well… they think that he might—that he's probably gonna lose his arm. That beam, whatever the hell it was, it blasted right through his aircraft and—and it got—it got his whole left side, but his arm took the brunt, so… the docs said that they'll know more once they get in there and see the full extent of the damage, but… right now it's not looking too good."</p><p>It took Steve's muddled mind at least three heartbeats to process Sam's words.</p><p>
  <em>He's going to lose his arm. Bucky's going to lose his arm.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's never gonna be able to fly again.</em>
</p><p>"Gods, Captain," Tony said, once again reading Steve's thoughts perfectly. "I'm so sorry. That's… well… that's rough."</p><p>"Sam," Steve finally forced past the knot in his throat. He felt so sickened that he probably would've vomited had he had anything in his stomach. Bucky had wanted to be a pilot his entire life, ever since Steve had known him, and the thought of him losing one of his limbs, of never being able to fly ever again, it was—it was—</p><p>"Sam, I am so, so sorry. I should've—I should've gotten to him faster, I should've—"</p><p>"No, babe, you can't go blaming yourself!" Tony protested. "There's nothing more that you could've done—"</p><p>"He's right, Steve," Sam said firmly. "The doctors told me that they weren't sure if he was even breathing when his aircraft landed, so if you hadn't gotten him out when you did there's no telling what could've happened. He could've been left with brain damage, or—or—" Sam broke off, swiping at his nose. "He's still alive, and that's all that matters."</p><p><em>He's still alive,</em> Steve thought, the words echoing inside his mind. <em>He's still alive. He's not dead.</em></p><p>
  <em>He'll just be disabled for the rest of his life, but at least—</em>
</p><p>"Will you let us know once he's out of surgery?" Tony asked. "After you're all settled, of course. I'd… I'm betting that there'll be something I can do that might be able to help, so…"</p><p>Sam sniffed as he nodded. "Yeah. I can—I can do that. Thank you." He clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Take it easy for awhile, okay, Cap? No sense in pushing yourself before you're ready."</p><p>"I'll make sure that he does," said Tony. He offered Sam his hand, which Sam gratefully took. "I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be."</p><p>"Of that I have no doubt," Sam said with the slightest of smiles. "Thanks."</p><p>Steve slumped down into the chair as Tony wheeled him away, his heart starting to thud when he realised they were heading towards a bank of elevators instead of the exit.</p><p>"Tony, where're we going?" he asked, rather frantically. "I told you, I don't want Peter to see me like this—"</p><p>Tony shot him a scowl, which was so exactly like one of Peter's scowls that Steve almost laughed. "And I told you that you were being ridiculous," he said. "Pete's not gonna think that you're weak, that's just a bunch of macho military nonsense. All he wants is to see his Papa."</p><p>Tears welled in Steve's burning eyes, rolling down his cheeks before he even realised they were there. "But—but… fathers are supposed to be strong, and—"</p><p>"No, fathers are supposed to be human, which is exactly what you are," Tony cut in. "Or I guess superhuman in your case, so Pete's even extra lucky. Now hush, will you? This isn't an argument that you're gonna win."</p><p>The loud <em>ding </em>of the arriving elevator prevented Steve from replying, and he clamped his mouth shut as Tony manoeuvred him inside. He had witnessed what he'd coined as the Stark Stubborn Streak several times in both Tony and Peter, but he'd never had it personally directed at him until now.</p><p>"Look," Tony said once the doors had closed. "I don't understand where this fear of yours is coming from, but I promise that it's completely unwarranted. That child is so infatuated with you that I'd be having some serious jealousy issues right about now if I wasn't just as infatuated, all right? And all he wants is to just see for himself that you're okay. You can give him that, can't you?"</p><p>"Yeah," Steve whispered. He hadn't quite thought about it like that. "Yeah, I can."</p><p>"Good." Tony cupped Steve's cheeks in his hands, brushing his tears away with his thumbs before stepping back, shaking his head as his lips twitched into a smirk. "Look at you. Even all bandaged up you're still hotter than hell."</p><p>Steve sputtered out a laugh. "Tony—"</p><p>"Oh, you think I'm joking, do you?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"No, I don't," Steve said. "Which only makes it even funnier."</p><p>"Well, it's not like you can blame me. Not my fault that you're the peak of human perfection."</p><p>"Tony, I'm not perfect," said Steve. <em>And especially not now.</em></p><p>Tony's expression grew serious. "I know you're not perfect, honey, but I do know that you're perfect for me, and for Pete too." He brushed his lips across Steve's forehead. "You might wanna be prepared though, 'cause I have a strong feeling that Pete's gonna launch himself at you as soon as you're close enough."</p><p>Steve's heart fluttered. Peter's tight, arms-around-the-neck hugs had quickly become one of Steve's favourite things, and something he very much needed at the moment.</p><p>"I can't wait," he murmured.</p><hr/><p>Peter chewed his lip, impatiently flipping his pencil around his thumb. It had been over three hours since Uncle James had knocked on his door out of the blue, telling him that there had been an accident during Papa's space mission and that he and one of the other pilots had been hurt. Peter had seen the bright flash of yellow light out his window earlier, but the angle of his room was such that he couldn't figure out where it had come from until Uncle James explained that it had been launched from somewhere in Meridia, and had targeted the second of the three space-faring aircraft as they returned through the atmospheric barrier.</p><p>Which to Peter didn't make any sense at all. In order for the Meridians to fire a beam of that intensity at the precise moment that Captain Barnes's aircraft emerged back inside the planet's atmosphere, someone over there would've had to have known first that Langara had sent aircraft into space, and second, the exact time and location of Captain Barnes's reentry.</p><p>Both of which were impossible, from how Peter saw it. Even if they had somehow managed to observe Papa reentering the atmosphere, Captain Barnes's reentry point wasn't the same as Papa's, so firing at Papa's reentry point wouldn't have resulted in anything besides a really bright light and a bunch of frightened birds.</p><p>So either someone in Meridia got really freaking lucky with their aim—which was almost statistically impossible, based on Peter's calculations—or somehow their military found out about the mission.</p><p>And if that was the case, the question then became, <em>how?</em></p><p>Peter glanced up at the clock, his pencil flipping increasing in speed and frequency. Patience had never been one of his strongest suits—Dad always said he got that from him—and while Uncle James had promised Peter that Papa wasn't seriously hurt, he really, <em>really </em>just needed to see him for himself.</p><p><em>But what if Papa hadn't been the team leader? </em>Peter thought, his belly swooping in fear. <em>What if he had been Phoenix Two instead of One? Then it would've been his aircraft that ended up getting hit, and even with JARVIS there no one else would've been strong enough to break him out, and—</em></p><p>The harsh beep of one of his monitors broke him from his spiralling thoughts, and Peter rolled his eyes as he slumped backwards, trying to take deep, even breaths as he fought the almost overwhelming urge to cough. His heart was racing, thudding madly against his ribcage, and the last thing that Peter wanted was for Dad and Papa to show up while he was having yet another one of his choking fits.</p><p><em>Breathe, </em>Peter thought. <em>I just gotta breathe.</em></p><p>He really should've known better. His heart was so weak now that even the simple act of walking to his bathroom was enough to cause it to flip out, beating so fast and so inefficiently that he could barely stay upright against the dizziness. The doctors had increased the dose of the medicines that pulled fluid from his lungs just a few days ago, but that was only yet another stopgap. Yet another temporary fix to the inevitable problem that was going to end up terminating his life.</p><p>Making it even more important that he and Dad figure out what went wrong during the trial mission as soon as possible.</p><p>Thankfully, the monitor stopped its incessant noise about a minute later. It was Ms Sharon's day off for the week, and for once Peter was grateful for the lack of interest from his substitute nurse. There was no way that Ms Sharon would've just sat out there in the nurse's station gossiping while one of her patients was in a dangerously high tachycardia.</p><p>Peter had just started going over his latest editions to JARVIS's code—which included three more additional layers of encryption—when someone knocked on his door.</p><p>"Come in!" he said, so fast that he nearly tripped over his tongue.</p><p>"Hey, buddy!" Dad said as the door swung open. Peter gasped as Dad wheeled Papa inside in a wheelchair, looking like he'd been through hell in his huge, goofy sunglasses and his hands and feet all wrapped up in thick white bandages.</p><p>"Papa!" he cried as Dad pushed him over to his bed. Peter immediately reached for him, relieved when Papa pulled him into a careful hug.</p><p>"Uncle James told me that you weren't all that hurt, but—"</p><p>"I'm not, little guy," Papa murmured into his hair. "This all looks a lot worse than it is."</p><p>"Mmm, I hope so," mumbled Peter. "'Cause it looks pretty awful."</p><p>"Nah, bud, Papa's gonna be okay," Dad said as he sat down on the bed. "He heals pretty fast, remember? His burns should be a lot better by tomorrow, and he's grounded from flying for the next three days so his eyes will have plenty of time to heal."</p><p>"Oh," Peter said. Papa and Dad had told Peter about his super soldier experiment a couple of weeks ago, something that Peter had to admit he found incredibly cool. "Well, that's good, but… but <em>still.</em> It still should've never happened in the first place, and—"</p><p>"Peter," Papa murmured, patting Peter's back with his bandaged fist. "Peter, it's okay. I'm gonna be okay."</p><p>Peter nodded against Papa's chest. "And you've gotta stay that way, okay? Promise?"</p><p>"I promise."</p><p>"Good." He pulled back, looking between Dad and Papa. "And the other pilot? How's he doing?"</p><p>Dad glanced at Papa, his face falling as Papa dropped his head.</p><p>"He's in surgery at the moment, bud," Dad said. "He's… well… one of his arms got pretty messed up, and they're not sure if they're gonna be able to save it or not, so… we'll know more once he's out, but—"</p><p>Dad was cut off by another knock on the door, which opened to reveal Uncle James.</p><p>"Rhodey?" Dad said as Uncle James stepped into the room. "Got any new news?"</p><p>"A bit," said Uncle James. "Hey, Captain Rogers. You all right?"</p><p>"I'll be fine, Colonel," Papa said. "I still can't thank you enough for—"</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Uncle James said quickly. He lowered himself onto the hard chair next to Peter's bed, his face etched with trepidation.</p><p>"I just got off the phone with Colonel Phillips," he began. "Carol and the other backup patrollers were up there for three straight hours, and they couldn't find a damn thing that might give us a clue as to what the hell happened out there today. Phillips already has the secondary backup crew up there with the current patrol shift, but again, he's not expecting them to find anything either."</p><p>"Okay, so… then what, we're just supposed to let this go?" Dad asked with a frown. "'Cause that's just not gonna happen."</p><p>"Not when we've got a pilot fighting for his life," Papa said firmly. "There's no way I'm letting this go."</p><p>"No no, that's not what Phillips meant," Uncle James said. He let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Papa. "In fact, I'm supposed to relay a message to you, Captain. Three days from now, before you'll be cleared to return to active duty, you have a meeting scheduled with General O'Brien at 0800 hours."</p><p>"What kind of meeting?" demanded Dad, his hands clenching into fists. "He's not gonna try and blame Steve for this, is he? 'Cause that's just—"</p><p>"Tony," Papa said softly.</p><p>"No, Tones, that's not it," said Uncle James. "The general wants Captain Rogers to present testimony is all, according to what Colonel Phillips told me."</p><p>"It's a standard procedure, Tony," Papa said. "I've had to do it before."</p><p>"Yeah, but in front of the general himself?" Dad asked. "Don't they usually have a committee that does that kind of stuff?"</p><p>"Yes, but this wasn't exactly just any regular mission, right?" said Papa, and Peter could've cried at how gentle and reassuring he was. Papa was right; it hadn't been just any other mission. But not even he knew the extent as to why since Dad had been planning on telling him once the trial missions were a success.</p><p>"No, it wasn't, babe," Dad murmured. "But—"</p><p>"Did Colonel Phillips mention if anyone had gotten a look at Bucky's aircraft yet?" Papa asked. "Do they know where the beam hit?"</p><p>"There's only been some preliminary results from the investigative team so far," answered Uncle James. "But from what Colonel Phillips told me, it seems as though the beam specifically targeted the landing apparatus."</p><p>"What?" Dad exclaimed. "How the hell would it be able to do that unless—?"</p><p>"Unless they knew the exact design of the aircraft," Peter finished. He sucked in a deep, rattly breath, begging his bum heart to stay calm. The last thing anyone needed now was for his stupid monitors to start going bonkers again. "Which would be impossible, unless—"</p><p>"Unless the Meridians somehow managed to get their hands on the design," said Uncle James. "Which, while not technically impossible, would be pretty damn difficult without help."</p><p>"So you're saying that the Meridians might have a spy?" Papa asked.</p><p>"Oh, <em>shit!" </em>Dad said, stating exactly what Peter was thinking. If the Meridians did have a spy embedded somewhere in the Air Corps, then that could mean whoever it was could also know about not only Project Phoenix, but JARVIS as well.</p><p>And while knowing about JARVIS's existence and having the knowledge to actually manipulate him enough to mess with the aircraft were two completely different things, Peter was still very glad that he'd taken the initiative to create more layers of encryption to JARVIS's programming. If Project Phoenix hoped to have any chance of succeeding, Peter had to make sure that JARVIS was kept safe.</p><p>"Colonel Phillips believes that's a strong possibility," Uncle James said. "And that's all he'd say over the phone, so don't ask me any more questions 'cause I won't know the answers."</p><p>"No, sir," said Papa. "Thank you, sir."</p><p>"Nah, don't thank me, I didn't do anything," Uncle James grumbled. "I do have to be getting back through. Colonel Phillips wants me there when he debriefs the backup patrollers. Captain, you're to call one of the safety officers when you and Tony are ready to head back to the base, got it? Colonel Phillips doesn't want you going anywhere unescorted while you're still healing."</p><p>"Understood," said Papa. "Thank you, Colonel. And if you don't mind, if you could let Carol know about Bucky, I'd really appreciate it."</p><p>"No problem, Captain. I know she's worried about him."</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>"Yeah, thanks, Rhodey," added Dad.</p><p>"Yep. See you guys soon."</p><p>"Dad," Peter said as soon as the door closed behind Uncle James. "Dad, we've gotta—I mean, if it's not safe anymore, then we've gotta—"</p><p>Dad stopped him with a raised hand. "I know, bud. Tonight, okay?"</p><p>"Huh?" said Papa, his eyebrows wrinkling behind his goofy glasses. "You two know that you tend to speak in code sometimes, right?"</p><p>"So you've mentioned," said Dad. "Tonight, okay, buddy?"</p><p>Peter gulped as he nodded. It had been Papa's choice to wait, telling Dad and Peter that he trusted them implicitly and didn't need to know all the specifics of the Phoenix mission if telling him could potentially get Dad into trouble. But now… with the possibility of there being a severe security breach in one of the upper levels of the Langaran government, Peter didn't think they could wait any longer. If Papa was going to risk his life on what amounted to a treasonous mission, he deserved to know exactly what he was going to be doing.</p><p>"Tony, I've told you that it's not necessary for you to—"</p><p>"It is this time, Papa," Peter interrupted. "Please, just trust us, okay?"</p><p>"There's no one that I trust more," Papa said as he touched Peter's cheek with his bandaged hand. "And what about you, little guy, are you doing okay?"</p><p>"Oh, I'm fine," Peter said automatically. "Same old, same old." He grabbed his notebook, tearing out the pages of new code. "I wrote these this afternoon while I was waiting for you guys. More layers of encryption for JARVIS."</p><p>"You wrote those just in the last few hours?" Papa asked, stifling a yawn. He really did look horrible, all tired and beat up, but Peter wasn't about to tell him that.</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>Papa shook his head, giving Peter a proud smile. "Wow. I don't think I'll ever get used to just how smart you are."</p><p>"I've been trying for his entire life, babe, and I'm still not," added Dad. He brushed the hair from Peter's forehead and kissed him, his fingertips rubbing the back of Peter's neck like he loved. "I'm gonna get Papa back to the base now, bud, okay? He needs to rest."</p><p>"I think that's a great idea," Peter said. He gave Dad a big hug, then reached for Papa, burying his nose into his neck. "Promise me that you'll listen to Dad and actually rest, okay? Even super soldiers need to heal."</p><p>"I will, little guy. You take it easy too, okay?"</p><p>"Uh huh. Love you."</p><p>He heard Papa's heart skip a beat, his arms tightening around him.</p><p>"I love you too, Peter."</p><p>"We'll see you tomorrow, okay, bud?" said Dad. "Sleep good."</p><p>"Uh huh. You too."</p><p>As he watched his father wheel Papa out the door, Peter's heart felt the heaviest it had in a long, long time. Everything had been going so well until just a few short hours ago that it had seemed almost too good to be true. But now…</p><p>Now the entire project could be in jeopardy. If there actually was a spy in the Air Corps that'd been feeding the Meridian government intelligence about Langaran tech, then Peter feared that he could write all of the encryption layers for JARVIS that he wanted and it still might not be enough to keep his papa safe during the mission, or keep his father from getting arrested for treason.</p><p>Pursing his lips, Peter grabbed his notebook, rubbing at his sore nose as he began writing yet another set of code. In the end, Peter knew that it would really all come down to whether Papa would agree to go forward with the mission once he was told of its parameters, and based on how well he'd gotten to know Papa in the last few months, Peter had a strong feeling that Papa would do it, no matter what the potential consequences were. He was a military pilot, yes, and very much enjoyed being one, or at least he did most of the time. But meeting Peter and Dad had already changed him so much that now he wanted nothing more than to settle down with his family. He wanted what he had called "the quiet life", and Peter desperately wanted him and Dad to have it.</p><p>If anyone deserved such a life, it was them. And they deserved to have it together.</p><hr/><p>"Here we are, honey," Tony said, fumbling with Steve's ID to open his—<em>their</em>—door. Steve had insisted on calling his barracks room "their" room ever since Tony moved in most of his clothing, but it still hadn't quite sunk in yet. Having lived in Howard's small house for his entire life, Tony wasn't used to having something that he could call his own. He'd even gotten up the courage to tell Steve about the log cabin he'd been lusting over for the last several years just a week or so ago, after which Steve had proceeded to pull out his sketchbook—<em>the</em> sketchbook—and show Tony an absolutely drop-dead-beautiful drawing of that very same cabin, complete with a fully-stocked fishing boat out on the lake that held himself and Peter, with Tony standing by the house waving at them as they motored away.</p><p>"You cannot be serious," he'd managed to say, clutching the sketchbook with shaking hands.</p><p>"I am, sweetheart," Steve had answered, his dimple showing as he smiled, that gorgeous dimple of his that Tony was convinced could end the decades-long war in less than three seconds if flashed to the appropriate people. Tony had been too choked up to say anything further, choosing instead to show his appreciation in other ways, but the drawing had stuck inside his head like glue, burned into his memory as the perfect idyllic end to all of their current madness.</p><p>An end to which he would stop at almost nothing to achieve.</p><p>Steve grunted as Tony unlocked the door and helped him inside, bringing him over to the bed. Curfew was due to begin in about ten minutes, which meant that he had just enough time to hurry down to the mess hall and grab some food before the lights went out.</p><p>"There ya go, honey," he said as he propped Steve's feet up on his spare pillow. The hospital had cut Steve's flight suit and undersuit from his body while they'd worked on him, so he was now dressed in the same kind of scrubs worn by most of the medical personnel. "I'm gonna go get you something to eat now, okay? I'll be right back."</p><p>"Don't forget to get something for yourself too," Steve said tiredly. "I'm sure you haven't eaten anything since this morning."</p><p>Tony frowned. Steve was right, of course, but leave it to Steve to worry about him when he was the one all banged up. Tony could afford to go without food for a day, and before Steve he often had, getting so wrapped up in his work that he'd literally forget to eat. But he'd already witnessed what could happen when Steve tried to go too long without eating, and that wasn't anything that Tony needed to see again.</p><p>"I will." He kissed Steve softly on the lips. "Be back in a few minutes."</p><p>Clipping Steve's ID to the front of his shirt, Tony made his way swiftly towards the mess hall, handlamp in hand just in case the lights went out before he was able to get back. Being so close to curfew the mess hall was already closed for the evening, with only the cleaning crew still inside as Tony filled a bag with enough food for his own personal army, knowing that as he healed Steve's appetite would be even bigger than usual.</p><p>And he very much hoped it would still remain so after he confessed to him the real purpose behind the Phoenix mission. Tony had made a promise to Peter that he would tell Steve the whole story that evening, and there was no way he was going to break that promise. He only wished that the gnawing fear deep in the pit of his stomach would just go away already. The thought that he was literally going to ask one of the people that he loved most in the entire world to essentially sacrifice himself to save the other person that he loved most in the entire world weighed on Tony's mind like a massive anvil, threatening to squash him completely if he couldn't keep it balanced just so.</p><p>And he also knew that once he explained the mission to Steve, he would go along with it without hesitation. Steve loved Peter so much, there was no way he would say no to a mission that Peter had specifically designed to better their entire planet.</p><p>Even if it was considered treasonous.</p><p>Tony had discussed the Phoenix mission with Colonel Phillips again in the days leading up to the trial mission, trying to come up with some possible way they could convince the government leaders to conduct the mission as designed by Peter. But it had all been just a massive waste of time. Phillips had gone above and beyond, likely raising suspicions and risking his own arrest as he attempted to persuade their leaders to see reason, and yet they still stuck to their notions that there could be no possibility of peace that didn't involve the complete surrender of the entire Meridian continent.</p><p>Which was just their way of saying that they had no interest in peace at all. Only undeniable victory.</p><p>Tony was only a few steps away from the mess hall when the lights suddenly cut out, plunging the entire building into complete darkness. He managed to swallow his gasp before it could escape, halting in place as he fumbled to turn on the handlamp and hoping that his heart would work its way out of his throat before he returned to Steve.</p><p><em>Goddamn dark! </em>he thought as he followed his small beam of light back to Steve's room. <em>I hate it! I really fucking hate it!</em></p><p>"Tony! Are you all right?" Steve cried as soon as he opened the door, because of course Steve would instantly know that he was upset. He was halfway off the bed too, as if he'd thought he was going to go looking for Tony or something.</p><p>"I'm fine, honey," Tony said through gritted teeth. "Just—"</p><p>"I should've gone with you," Steve said. "I know how much you hate—"</p><p>"I said I'm <em>fine</em>, Steve, and you're not supposed to be walking on those burned feet of yours anyway," Tony snapped, his shoulders sagging as soon as the words left his mouth. "Babe, I'm sorry. I'm just… tired."</p><p>Steve carefully rearranged himself on the bed before taking the bag from Tony's hand and setting it down. "No, you're not fine, and it's also okay that you're not." He held out his arms, which Tony didn't hesitate for a second to crawl into, curling into Steve with his head on his chest.</p><p>He was safe. In Steve's arms, he was safe. The darkness couldn't get him there.</p><p>"Better?" Steve asked a few moments later.</p><p>Tony nodded, sniffing. "Yeah."</p><p>Steve's stomach growled then, and Tony couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Guess we should feed you before we sleep, hmm?"</p><p>He felt Steve's lips on the top of his head. "Yeah. I guess so."</p><p>"And I should probably tell you about the mission, since—"</p><p>"Tony, you know you don't have to," Steve cut in. "I've told you that. I'm fine with finding out with everyone else."</p><p>"But I'm not, honey," Tony said. He lifted his head, gazing at the man that he loved more than he ever thought he was capable. "And neither is Pete, and so… you've just got to know what you're getting into here."</p><p>The worry wrinkle appeared between Steve's eyebrows. "All right, sweetheart. Go ahead."</p><p>Tony's heart gave a flutter, and he cleared his throat as he twisted the cap off a bottle of superwater and handed it to Steve.</p><p>"Okay, so I've mentioned a few times about the orbital defence system, yeah?" Tony began.</p><p>"Yes," said Steve. "Those are the satellites that we'll be deploying, right?"</p><p>"Yep, that's right. Well… that was my initial plan for the mission. The satellites would be the new line of national defence, which once operational would reduce the need for constant air patrols, and theoretically reduce Air Corps and civilian casualties as a result of constant air strikes."</p><p>"Okay," Steve said as he finished his first sandwich. "That all seems reasonable."</p><p>"Right." Tony huffed out a sharp breath. "But then Pete came along and saw what I was doing, and he decided to take it about a hundred steps further."</p><p>Steve's worry wrinkle grew deeper. "I'm not sure I'm following—"</p><p>"Pete came up with the idea that instead of making the satellites into weapons, we could instead have them function as continuous energy conduits. There's a device, one that the government's kept a deep, dark secret for years, that if utilised correctly could be a source of unlimited clean energy, and Pete got the idea that if we took that device and channelled its energy through the satellites and into the planet's power plants, that—"</p><p>"Our energy crisis would be gone!" Steve exclaimed. "No more curfews, no more blackouts, no more—"</p><p>"Exactly," said Tony. "But here's the kicker. In order to keep the Meridians from trying to sabotage the system—which, once they find out that we even have this device in the first place they're gonna be <em>pissed</em>—we would need to offer it to them as well. It would become a full planetary energy system, and—"</p><p>"It would end the war," Steve finished. "I mean, a source of unlimited clean energy would be a pretty impressive peace offering, so I can't imagine why it wouldn't end the war."</p><p>"Nope. Neither can I, and neither could Pete," Tony said. "It would bring an end to over seventy years of war."</p><p>Steve tipped his head back against the pillows, breathing in slowly as he chewed. "Tony, that's… this is… well, it's just brilliant! And you said that Peter came up with this?"</p><p>"With the idea to use the system as an energy source, yeah," Tony said proudly. "Howard, he was running experiments on this device back in the day so I know it exists, and I've studied as much about it as I can possibly study so I know that Pete's right. This would end the war."</p><p>"But?" Steve asked. "What's the catch?"</p><p>Tony bit his lip, taking Steve's bandaged hand in his own. "Our government won't go for it. We've tried—Colonel Phillips and I—we've tried so hard over the last six months or so to convince them, and they just won't. They won't consider any options that would lead to peace unless it's an unconditional surrender from the enemy."</p><p>Steve was quiet for several heartbeats as Tony clung to his hand, barely daring to breathe. Finally, Steve looked right at him, his blue eyes determined.</p><p>"I'll do it," he said quietly, and Tony's belly immediately dropped. "Just tell me when."</p><p>"No, honey, I don't know if you understand—"</p><p>"I understand it perfectly, Tony," Steve cut in. "You're saying that this mission, this one mission could completely end the war?"</p><p>Tony gulped. "If it works, then yes," he whispered. "Meridia has the same energy problems that we do, so… if that was fixed, there'd really be no more reason to fight."</p><p>"Then, I'll do it," Steve repeated. "This seems like a no-brainer to me."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe so, but honey, you wouldn't be the only one," Tony said. "In order for this to work, we would need both of the remaining space-capable aircraft up there deploying the satellites, which would mean—"</p><p>Steve's fingers closed around Tony's, causing him to jump. "Honey, your hands—!"</p><p>"Carol would do it too, Tony, you know she would," Steve said. "She's told us some stuff, about what happened after Colonel Rhodes' accident, and… well… let's just say that I know she would do it."</p><p>Tony's throat tightened, his eyes burning with tears. "Okay, but still. Steve, we're pretty much talking about a full-on coup here. It wouldn't be just you and Carol, we would need air support to keep you two from getting shot down before you could make it out of the atmosphere, we would need ground support to secure the general and his goonies and to keep Phillips from getting arrested—"</p><p>"And you," Steve said firmly.</p><p>"Yeah, me too, but honey, we'd also absolutely have to get Pete somewhere safer than that hospital bed of his, because—" He broke off, looking away as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Because if anything were to happen to him, or to you, I don't—I don't—"</p><p>
  <em>I don't think I could live.</em>
</p><p>He felt Steve's bandaged fingers under his chin, turning his head back to look into his eyes. "Tony, I'm telling you right now that we're going to do this," he said. "I know it may not seem like it, but there are a lot more of us who feel the way you do than you might think, and I know we can do it. I <em>know </em>it." He leaned forward, kissing Tony softly on the lips. "Can you trust me?"</p><p>"I do. With my life," Tony said without hesitation. "No, with my <em>son's </em>life."</p><p>"And this will save him, right?" Steve asked. "Peter will be able to have his surgery once we do this?"</p><p>"There'd be no more reasons for him not to have it," said Tony. "Absolutely none."</p><p>"Good." Steve curled his arm around Tony's waist, pulling him closer. "This will work, sweetheart. I'll make sure that it does."</p><p>Tony nodded, pulling off his glasses so he could tuck in closer. "Steve, you just gotta promise me that you'll be careful, okay? After what happened today I have to admit that I'm starting to get a lot more twitchy about things, and now with Rhodey saying that you've gotta meet with the general, I'm just—"</p><p>"General O'Brien doesn't scare me, Tony," Steve said. "And I promise I'm not going to do anything that would put you or Peter in danger."</p><p>"I know you wouldn't. But—"</p><p>"Just tell me what you need, and I'll make sure it gets done. Okay?"</p><p>"Gods, I love you," Tony rushed out. "How'd I get so damn lucky?"</p><p>"I ask myself that every single day," Steve whispered. "Multiple times."</p><p>"Even today?" Tony asked.</p><p>Steve nodded against Tony's shoulder. "Yes. Especially today." He pressed a kiss to Tony's cheek. "Ready to get some sleep now?"</p><p>"Yes," answered Tony. "Yes I am."</p><p>After helping Steve brush his teeth, they both crawled under the covers, Steve's chest pressed up against Tony's back.</p><p>"I love you, sweetheart," Steve whispered, his warm breath against Tony's ear sending a shiver down his spine. "It's all gonna be fine."</p><p>Tony turned his head, kissing Steve on the jaw. "I hope you're right."</p><p>
  <em>Please, let him be right.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Steve's back was ramrod straight, his shoulders perfectly level as he arrived outside of General O'Brien's deep mahogany office door, the placard tacked to the front embossed in pure gold. Steve had been to the general's office a few times over the course of his Air Corps career, mainly for commendations on his performances during particularly difficult patrols, but this trip felt different. How could he have not noticed the vast differences between even his rather ordinary barracks building and the positively grand Headquarters building that housed all of the main government leaders? How could he have not noticed that in all of his years of service, Steve had never seen any of the ten or so men who ran their country's government actually anywhere near a field of battle?</p><p>Or maybe he had noticed and had simply chosen to ignore it, not wanting to delve any deeper in the inequality of it all since he'd finally gotten what he'd always wanted.</p><p>Regardless, it made him feel sick to his stomach now. To think that an innocent child like Peter lay suffering in a hospital bed because of a correctable illness while the national leaders squandered millions of credits just so they could live in the lap of luxury… well… it was deplorable, is what it was.</p><p>
  <em>How could I have been so unbelievably blind?</em>
</p><p>He had even said as much to Tony the previous night. They had been lying in bed after making love, with Tony's head resting on Steve's chest over his heart like they always did, and Steve had just broken into tears, apologising over and over for being so caught up inside his own personal bubble that he'd failed to even consider how things were outside of it. Tony, of course, had tried to soothe him, telling him that it wasn't his fault that Peter was sick or that he'd been denied his surgery, but Steve couldn't help but think that through his ignorance he had only compounded the problems that civilians like Tony and Peter faced every single day.</p><p>Which was yet another reason why he was certain Project Phoenix would be a success. In Steve's opinion, failure simply was not an option.</p><p>He gave the door a firm knock, then stepped back, tugging on the sleeves of his dress uniform jacket as a corporal opened the door.</p><p>"Captain Rogers," he said, offering Steve a quick salute that he returned. "The general is expecting you."</p><p>"Thank you," Steve whispered as he followed the corporal into a grand outer office that was at least twice as large as Steve's barracks room.</p><p>"The general will be out in a moment," said the corporal. "Please make yourself comfortable."</p><p>Steve watched as the corporal disappeared behind a door on the opposite side of the ornate room. He stood at attention while he waited, his hands at his sides as he tried to keep his expression neutral. That morning had been the first time he'd been able to run again after the attack, and he'd practically ran himself into the ground trying to work through his nervousness. Steve had never been skilled at hiding his emotions, but it was going to be an absolute necessity now.</p><p>He looked up as the door opened again, gulping as General O'Brien slowly stepped through. He was a smaller man, someone Steve's ma would've described as "stout", with greying brown hair and dull brown eyes. His uniform was flawless and impeccably pressed, his boots so highly polished that Steve could make out his reflection as the general stepped forward.</p><p>"Captain Rogers. Thank you for coming," he said, his lips quirking into a sort of odd half-smile as he looked Steve up and down.</p><p>"General," said Steve.</p><p>"Would you like anything?" the general asked, gesturing towards a display of various drinks. "Water? Superwater? Whisky?"</p><p>"No thank you, sir," answered Steve. "I'm fine."</p><p>"Yes, I can see that," O'Brien said. "Well, I hope you don't mind if I indulge, hmm?"</p><p>"No, sir."</p><p>"I appreciate it," O'Brien said as he grabbed a crystal highball glass, pouring himself a generous shot of the whisky. He took a sip, swirling the amber liquid around in his mouth before swallowing, his eyes glued to Steve the entire time.</p><p>"So," he finally said. "I'm glad to see that you're looking so well, Captain, after that horrible accident the other day."</p><p>"Yes, sir," said Steve. "I've been cleared by the base medical office and I'm ready to resume my duties."</p><p>"I see. And have you any further news on Captain Barnes?" O'Brien asked.</p><p>A knot rose in Steve's throat at the mention of Bucky. He and Tony had just visited him at the hospital the previous night, and while he was thankfully in a bit less pain than he'd been the day before, Sam had told them that the shock of losing his arm still hadn't fully sunk in.</p><p>"He's strong, sir, so he'll eventually be okay," Steve said. "It's just going to take some time."</p><p>O'Brien nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Ah, yes. Time. The healer of all wounds." He downed the rest of his glass, setting it back down on the table. "And you, Captain? Your wounds are all healed?"</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve said firmly. "As I said, I am ready to resume my duties."</p><p>"Yes, yes, ready to jump right back into things, that's what I like to hear," O'Brien said. "And the skies over our beloved country are much safer with you up there, of that I have no doubt. I just have a few quick questions before I dismiss you, Captain, if you don't mind."</p><p>Steve swallowed, his face frozen in what he hoped was a neutral expression. "No, sir."</p><p>"Good." O'Brien leaned back against the table, his thin lips twitching as he regarded Steve.</p><p>"Captain," he said, crossing his arms. "What can you tell me about the Stark family?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I pray that all of you are staying healthy and safe 💖 </p><p>I’m always eager to hear what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment 😊</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first Steve was too stunned to even respond. Surely the general wasn't trying to imply that Tony had anything to do with the Meridian beam that took out Bucky's aircraft, was he?</p><p>Or, was he.</p><p>Steve's ma had told him a few stories about General Matthew O'Brien from back when he held Colonel Phillips's position as Commander of the Air Corps. According to her, while he had apparently liked Steve's father well enough, he had been known throughout the Air Corps for having a particularly quick temper and for his tendencies to hold grudges, often keeping old grievances tucked away in order to pull them out whenever he felt it necessary.</p><p>She had also told Steve that O'Brien didn't hesitate at all to "reluctantly take control" of the government when the massive explosion that took Joseph Rogers's life, along with thousands of others, also took the life of both the civilian Langaran president and his top military general, General Hammond.</p><p>From Ma's stories, the initial days following the Battle of the Continents were some of the darkest days that Langara had ever seen. Aside from being literally thrown into the dark by the loss of the main power plant, leaving the country without any reliable sources of electricity, the death of both President Whitmore and General Hammond had caused the military to descend into such chaos that until Colonel O'Brien stepped in to take the reigns, almost ninety-five percent of the population feared that Meridia was only days away from eliminating them completely.</p><p>And yet somehow, O'Brien managed to cause not only all of the remaining high-ranking military officers to fall into line behind him, he also managed to completely transform the country from a civilian-led republic into what essentially amounted to a military dictatorship in only a few short weeks, one that had remained firmly in place for the last twenty-eight years.</p><p>Steve had been so distraught with guilt the previous night that it had nearly crushed him, the weight of it squeezing all the air from his lungs until he was gasping for breath. Tony had done his best to soothe him, holding him so he could hear his heart beating beneath the faint scar marking his chest. Tony had confessed to Steve a few times that he'd always hated his scar, believing it to be hideously ugly, a loathing that only grew after Peter's diagnosis.</p><p>In fact, he'd even told Steve that before their first time, he had always kept his shirt on during sex.</p><p>But Steve absolutely loved Tony's scar, and told him so every chance that he got. He loved how it was a physical reminder of Tony's resilience and tenacity. Tony had told Steve that he'd almost died during his surgery when the power plant was destroyed and the whole country went dark, and yet somehow, against nearly overwhelming odds, he managed to survive.</p><p>He was a survivor.</p><p>And so was Peter. Steve had seen enough of Peter to know that he had just as much—if not more—of his father's resilience and tenacity, and Steve couldn't wait until the day when he was well enough for he and Tony to get him out of that hospital room and take him home, where they could finally be a real family.</p><p>Home.</p><p>Family.</p><p>Two things that Steve had never dared to hope he would have, and now the two things that he wanted more than anything else.</p><p>More than <em>anything.</em></p><p>It took about three more seconds for Steve's mind to finally catch up with itself, and he was barely able to stop his eyebrows before they knitted together into a frown. Tony had suspected that O'Brien's insistence on a personal meeting couldn't mean anything good, and while Steve had tried to assure him that his concerns were unwarranted, his usual optimism, already tempered by his own guilt, just didn't seem to want to cooperate.</p><p>"Sir?" he said. Steve had made sure to have his mental compartments as neatly arranged as possible before stepping inside the office, and was now literally begging them not to fail him.</p><p>"I'm not quite sure that I understand the question?"</p><p>O'Brien tilted his head, his thin lips curling into a rather amused smirk. "Surely you know of whom I'm referring, don't you, Captain?"</p><p>"Yes, sir, I do," answered Steve. "I guess I'm just unsure as to the exact point of the question. Mr Anthony Stark is one of my instructors for the X-302, so—"</p><p>"Yes, I'm well aware of Anthony Stark's position here with the Air Corps," O'Brien said.</p><p>"Then—?"</p><p>"If you need me to repeat my question, Captain, I'll be happy to do so," O'Brien snapped. "Otherwise, I would greatly appreciate it if you would grant me an answer."</p><p>Steve pursed his lips, firmly ordering his eyebrows to stay in their proper place.</p><p>"Mr Howard Stark was a former scientist here at the Air Corps, which I learned from my mother as a child," Steve began. "I also know that he was arrested for treason shortly following the Battle of the Continents, put on trial, and eventually acquitted."</p><p>"Ah, yes," O'Brien said with a nod. "The Battle of the Continents. The day that will live in infamy, so people say."</p><p>"I have heard that phrase used to describe it, sir," said Steve.</p><p>"Yes, well, I'd agree that it's a fairly accurate description," O'Brien said. "One that I know I'll never forget, as I'm sure your mother won't as well."</p><p>Steve's fingers at his sides twitched ever-so-slightly. <em>Oh no, you didn't.</em> "I highly doubt it, sir."</p><p>"And how is your mother these days, Captain?" asked the general. "Is she doing well?"</p><p>
  <em>What. The. Hell…?</em>
</p><p>"She's doing just fine, sir," Steve answered. "Thank you for asking."</p><p>"You're very welcome," O'Brien replied. "Please give her my well wishes the next time you see her."</p><p>"I will, sir. Thank you." Steve couldn't imagine why Ma would give a damn about General O'Brien's well wishes, but he supposed that was a conversation better suited for another time.</p><p>"And you, Captain?" asked O'Brien. "Do you have any thoughts on Howard Stark?"</p><p>"I've never met the man, General, so I don't personally have an opinion," replied Steve, which was actually not even a lie. While he had caught the occasional glimpse of Howard a few times in the hospital hallway, Howard had been nowhere to be found the couple of times he had escorted his ma's friend to the Stark house to clean, which had honestly suited Steve just fine. While he no longer considered Howard the national traitor that he'd once believed him to be, the stories Tony and Peter had told him about growing up under Howard's dark shadow had been enough for Steve to decide that they were all much better off with him out of the picture.</p><p>"That's a pretty diplomatic response for someone who could be completely justified in hating the man's very name," O'Brien said with a rather sinister smile. "Very noble of you, Captain. Not that I would expect anything less, of course, but it is still quite admirable."</p><p>Steve was barely able to stop the corners of his mouth before they curved downwards. The prejudice and contempt that the old general had for Tony's father—and by extension for Tony and Peter—couldn't have been more obvious if he'd stated it outright.</p><p>"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that very much."</p><p>There was a brief pause for a moment while O'Brien contemplated Steve, looking him up and down as though he were inspecting his uniform cleanliness.</p><p>"Have you ever noticed any side-effects from your serum procedure, Captain?" he finally asked. "Anything you would consider… peculiar?"</p><p>This time Steve couldn't quite catch his eyebrows before they slanted together. "Uh, no, sir. None that I've noticed."</p><p>O'Brien waved his hand. "Yes, yes, I apologise for the rather intrusive question. I understand that you still receive your quarterly checkups from the medical office?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Very good, very good," said the general. "And your impeccable record since joining the Air Corps ten years ago certainly speaks for itself. You are definitely a good man to have around, Captain. The perfect soldier, if I may."</p><p>Steve blinked. He had heard O'Brien use that term before, in one of his televised speeches way back when he was still a boy around Peter's age. Something about how the Air Corps was developing technology in order to create an army of "perfect soldiers" with which to take on the Meridians after suffering a series of rather embarrassing defeats. Steve supposed that O'Brien had meant the speech to convey an element of protection and hope to a country filled with frightened civilians, but now it almost seemed more like a threat, and a shiver raced down Steve's spine at the thought of who else might've been in line to get the serum.</p><p>Which then also begged the question, why was Project Rebirth halted after his conversion? If the Langaran military had intended to create an entire army of so-called super soldiers, why had they stopped with only him?</p><p>Even more questions for him to investigate.</p><p>"Thank you, sir. I just wanted an opportunity to serve my country, as my father did."</p><p>"Ah ha!" O'Brien said with an appreciative nod. "And serve it you have! In fact, I've already initiated the process to have you promoted to Major, based on the recommendation of your superior officers."</p><p>Steve allowed himself a small smile. A promotion to Major would've meant a lot more to him a few months ago, when he wasn't busy planning a complete overthrow of the military government. He honestly hadn't given a lot of thought to how the military might look afterwards, once all the dust had settled, but at the moment he didn't much care. All that mattered to him was keeping his family safe, with Peter being able to have his operation at the very top of the list.</p><p>"Thank you, sir," he said, hoping like hell that he sounded like he meant it. "That's quite an honour."</p><p>"Oh, I don't think it's so much an honour if it's deserved," O'Brien said with a rather ominous grin. "And dare I say that you've deserved every single honour and promotion that the Air Corps has seen fit to bestow upon you. In fact, I've also put in for a medal of bravery to be added to your record for your selfless act following the recent accident. There's no doubt in my mind that Captain Barnes would have been tragically lost if you hadn't been there to break him out of his aircraft."</p><p><em>Accident, </em>Steve thought. <em>A rather interesting word choice for a pretty blatant attack from the enemy.</em> He proceeded to file that thought inside its appropriate mental compartment, something he would need to discuss with Tony once he was able.</p><p>"Bucky would've done the very same for me, sir," said Steve. "Or for anyone else in our squadron."</p><p>"Oh I'm sure he would have tried, but would he have been able to is the real question, hmm?" The general waved a dismissive hand, turning to pour himself another generous shot of the whisky. His back was only turned for a few seconds, but it was still long enough for Steve to sneak a glance at the pad of paper sitting near the edge of the large round table. The paper was blank, but with the way the sunlight was streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Steve could just barely make out the imprint of two words left behind from the torn off pages.</p><p>Operation Darkstalker.</p><p>"I do appreciate your time this morning, Captain, and I only have a couple more questions before I dismiss you," O'Brien finally said.</p><p>"Yes, sir?"</p><p>The general took a sip of his drink, smacking his lips once he swallowed. "As much as I hate to seem like I'm badgering you, you really have not answered my initial question to my satisfaction."</p><p>This time Steve allowed his frown to form in all of its glory.</p><p>"Sir?"</p><p>"I believe that I asked you about the Stark family, did I not?" asked the general.</p><p>"Yes, sir, I heard the question," Steve answered.</p><p>"Then what seems to be the problem?" O'Brien asked, downing the rest of his whisky.</p><p>Steve sucked in a deep breath, his shoulders so rigid they were starting to ache. "Howard Stark was once a civilian scientist working for the Air Corps. He was responsible for the design of many of the aircraft flown up to and during the Battle of the Continents, and was also rumoured to be conducting research into alternative power sources due to the country's diminishing supply of palladium, the element utilised in our power plants. Approximately six weeks following the Battle of the Continents, Howard Stark was arrested on charges of treason. His trial lasted three years, after which he was acquitted and returned to his home."</p><p>O'Brien's thin lips curled into something resembling a sneer. "Yes," he said. "Continue."</p><p>"Anthony Stark is a civilian scientist working for the Air Corps," Steve said through clenched teeth. "He graduated with top honours from Langara's finest university, and is responsible for the design of both the X-301 and X-302 aircrafts. He has also been conducting classes and simulations with the six Air Corps test pilots in preparation for the X-302 space-faring missions."</p><p>There was a pause once Steve was done, as if O'Brien had expected him to keep talking.</p><p>"Is that all, Captain?" he asked a few seconds later.</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve answered firmly.</p><p>"I see," O'Brien said. He placed his glass on the table and took three steps forward, getting close enough that Steve could smell the man's minty aftershave.</p><p>And see the small dots of sweat beading down the side of his head, pooling on the collar of his crisp uniform shirt.</p><p>O'Brien was <em>nervous.</em> Somehow, without doing anything besides tell the truth, Steve had managed to rattle him.</p><p>Which, he realised, could be both good and bad.</p><p>"Pardon me if this seems out of place, Captain," O'Brien started, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "But there have been a few members of my parliament who have raised… I suppose 'concerns' would be too strong a word, but owing to the lack of a better one let's just go with that, shall we? They have raised… <em>concerns</em> regarding the fact that you have been seen in the company of Anthony Stark on numerous occasions since the initiation of the X-302 program, outside of what they would consider to be normal program hours." He clasped his hands together, letting out such an obviously fake chuckle that Steve's blood almost started to boil.</p><p>Since when had O'Brien ever referred to his inner governmental circle as his ‘parliament’? In all of his years with the Air Corps and before that as a civilian, Steve had never before heard him use that term.</p><p>"So, just for their peace of mind, as it were, do you care to add anything to your statement regarding these… observations, Captain?" O'Brien asked.</p><p>Steve breathed in slowly, deliberately relaxing his shoulders. He'd been hoping that not even O'Brien would dare to stoop that low, but apparently even the small amount of credit that Steve had tried to grant him had been misplaced.</p><p>"I'm sorry, sir, but Air Corps regulations prohibit me from discussing my personal life while on duty," he stated. "And since I have been cleared by the base's medical office and am now officially back on duty, I am therefore unable to provide an answer to that question without being in violation of Air Corps protocols. Sir."</p><p>If Steve hadn't possessed his serum-enhanced eyesight, which was thankfully completely healed following his run-in with the blinding yellow beam, he would have missed the flinch that O'Brien tried very hard—but still failed—to suppress. As it was, the general managed to catch himself before it became too apparent, but the effect was clear. In his arrogance, General O'Brien had completely underestimated Steve.</p><p>Unfortunately, Steve highly doubted that the general would dare to do so again, which likely meant that he'd just painted a target not only on his own back, but on Tony and Peter's as well.</p><p>The sooner they could initiate Project Phoenix, the better. For all of their sakes.</p><p>General O'Brien cleared his throat, his expression one of thinly veiled amusement mixed with suspicion.</p><p>"I see," he said. "Well, I'm sure that my officers will be very pleased to hear that a such highly-decorated Captain as yourself has such a firm grasp on the protocols that we hold so dear." He paused, tapping his fingertips together. "Very well, Captain. You are dismissed."</p><p>Steve clicked his heels together, offering the general a salute and wishing he had the courage to cross his fingers behind his back.</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>As soon as O'Brien returned the salute Steve turned on his heel and headed for the exit, his mind racing at MACH-1 as he headed back towards the barracks. Colonel Phillips had informed him that he could take his usual place in the patrol shift once he was done meeting with the general, but he needed to change first. There was no way he could comfortably fly while wearing his bulky dress uniform.</p><p>"All right, Captain?" Colonel Phillips said as soon as Steve arrived in the hangar. He could see Tony up in the observation room, his beautiful face etched in worry. With the trial space mission behind them there was no more need for Tony to conduct his daily simulator rotations, so he had told Steve that Colonel Phillips had requested him to remain in the hangar during the patrols to ensure that there would be no further problems with the X-302 aircraft.</p><p>"Yes, sir," Steve answered, raising his eyebrow in what he hoped was a clear message that no, everything was <em>not </em>all right, he just couldn't discuss it at the moment.</p><p>"Understood," Colonel Phillips said quietly. "Then get your ass up in the air."</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>Climbing into his cockpit, Steve sucked in a deep breath as he pulled on his harness and helmet, trying to clear his mind. At the moment he absolutely needed to focus on his flying, there would be no room for mistakes up there with the threat level still high and with new patrolmen joining the shift, not to mention the grey clouds he'd seen accumulating in the sky on the walk to the hangar. Steve had flown with John Sheppard and Major Kowalski before when he'd substituted on other patrol shifts, and while they were definitely talented pilots, it still felt very wrong for Steve to be up there without Bucky on his wing, keeping watch over him like he always had.</p><p>At least Bucky had Sam, who Colonel Phillips had granted a leave of absence to help care for Bucky while he tried to adjust to living with only one arm, something that up until then had been unprecedented in the Air Corps. Steve could still remember how torn up Carol had been when Colonel Rhodes got hurt, because with her tight flying schedule she couldn't be with him as much as she'd wanted.</p><p>As a matter of fact, Steve distinctly remembered even seeing Carol cry a couple of times, when she'd thought no one else was around. Most of the time Carol was as tough as they came, one of the strongest people that Steve had ever seen, but she had confessed to him once Colonel Rhodes had "recovered" that not being able to be there for him when he'd needed her had been one of the hardest things she'd ever endured in her life.</p><p>Unfortunately, Steve could now understand where she was coming from. He had only known Peter for a few months, and yet it was still so unbelievably hard for him to have to leave Peter there in that hospital bed every single night, all alone, with only a notebook and his monitors for company.</p><p>And he knew it was even worse for Tony. While Steve had no memories of Peter from when he was well, he knew that Tony's vast memories of him as a happy little boy running around outside and climbing trees haunted him as they watched Peter grow weaker and weaker.</p><p><em>We need to introduce Bucky and Sam to Peter, </em>Steve thought as he taxied out onto the runway. <em>At least they could help keep him company.</em></p><p>And maybe even offer another layer of protection for him as well. Because while Steve didn't believe that Peter was in actual danger, or at least not at the moment, with the way things were getting murkier by the second it certainly wouldn't hurt for Peter to have two more people to help watch over him when his dads couldn't.</p><p>Besides. Who better to help Bucky cheer up a bit than Peter, who despite his illness was literal sunshine in the form of a human child. Steve was convinced that if given the chance, Peter could probably even charm the socks off of old, crusty General O'Brien himself.</p><p>Which, Steve realised as he took off, was likely the very reason why Peter had never been granted such a chance.</p><p>O'Brien was <em>afraid </em>of the Starks. All three of them.</p><p>And Steve intended to keep it that way.</p><hr/><p>Rain was beating against the windshield like a runaway snare drum as Tony pulled his ancient car into the hospital parking lot, turning to Steve as soon as he cut the engine. He'd been trying hard to keep a lid on his near-frantic worry ever since he'd watched Steve get dressed in his dress uniform at oh dark thirty that morning, and had managed to do a fairly decent job of it, if he did say so himself. But after staying silent all through Steve's harrowing patrol—the rain had kicked in only a couple of minutes after Steve was airborne—and through dinner in the crowded mess hall, Tony was practically vibrating out of his skin, the stormy grey clouds and pouring rain only amplifying his restlessness.</p><p>"Can you <em>please </em>tell me what happened now?" he begged, grabbing onto Steve's hand. Having to go almost two entire days without being able to properly hold Steve's hands had been so difficult for Tony it was ridiculous, and he was very much looking forward to making up for it.</p><p>"You've had that damn worry wrinkle of yours stuck between your eyebrows for almost the entire day, and yet—"</p><p>"It's not safe for us to talk at the base anymore, sweetheart," Steve said, his voice so grim and monotone that Tony's blood ran cold. He curled his fingers around Tony's hand, as if trying to warm it, yet another thing that Tony adored about Steve. He radiated more heat than an actual space heater, and Tony absolutely loved soaking it up.</p><p>"You think O'Brien might suspect something?" he asked.</p><p>Steve huffed, sadly shaking his head. "If he didn't before then he probably will now, and… around the base… I just—I don't know who might be listening to us that shouldn't be."</p><p>Tony breathed in, his eyes briefly fluttering shut. He had feared that something like this would happen, despite Phillips's assurances to the contrary, but he had still been clinging to the hope that it wouldn't.</p><p>Then again, when had anything ever worked out the way Tony had hoped?</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"No, I'm not," answered Steve. "And that only makes it worse because we still don't know who all we can trust, but… from now on I think we should assume that we could be overheard pretty much anywhere on the base."</p><p>"All right," Tony said. "Does that include our room?"</p><p>
  <em>Would O'Brien really stoop so low as to bug our room?</em>
</p><p>Steve gave a grim nod. "When it's quiet, yes. I think we'll still be okay while the music's playing though. From my experience the communications equipment doesn't enjoy a lot of background noise."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense." Tony paused for a moment, squeezing Steve's hand. "It's a good thing you picked up those extra records from your ma then, hmm? Big band probably doesn't play very well with hidden listening devices."</p><p>That at least got Steve to smile, however fleeting it was. In order to help combat Tony's irrational fear of the dark, he and Steve had started playing music in their room after the lights went out, courtesy of the hand-crank record player that Steve's mother had given him after his acceptance into the Air Corps. Steve had even taught Tony how to dance, a skill that Tony had always wished he'd been able to learn but could never find the time—or the right partner. Since Tony had moved in it had become a tradition of sorts for the two of them. He and Steve would return from saying goodnight to Peter at the hospital, grab some snacks from the mess hall, and then spend a good twenty or so minutes just slow-dancing together in the middle of the room, the music combined with Steve's closeness working to chase away the demons that Tony had always feared might attack him in the dark.</p><p>"<em>Nothing can get you here, sweetheart,"</em> Steve would whisper into his ear, his right arm tucked snugly around Tony's waist and his left hand holding Tony's against his chest. "<em>You're safe here with me."</em></p><p>And Tony had no choice but to believe him.</p><p>"No, probably not," Steve said. He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Tony's lips. "I'd like to introduce you to her, and I'd like to do it soon. Would you be okay with that?"</p><p>A knot rose in Tony's throat that he quickly tried to swallow down. In Langara, meeting the parents of your significant other was a pretty big deal, considered to be just a hair shy of a proposal. In all of his years of dating and messing around, Tony had never, ever been introduced to a partner's parents.</p><p>"Are you sure?" he said again, grimacing as he realised he sounded like a scratched record. "That's… well… I mean… that's a pretty big thing, so—"</p><p>"I am absolutely positive," Steve said, his blue eyes blazing with intensity in the dull greyish light inside the car. He cupped Tony's cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing along Tony's cheekbone. "I love you, Tony, and I want everyone to know it. Especially my mother."</p><p>Tears welled in Tony's eyes, threatening to spill over. "Steve, does she—does she <em>know?</em>" he forced out. "Does she know that I'm—I mean, have you told her that—?"</p><p>"That I'm in love with a Stark?" Steve gently asked. "Yes, she does. I told her."</p><p>Tony's head snapped back in surprise. "You did? When?"</p><p>"I called her this afternoon, before I met you for dinner." Steve sucked in a shaky breath, bringing Tony's hand to his lips. "Sweetheart, there's something really important that we need to discuss, and—I hope that you won't be upset with me, because I'm probably overstepping things here a bit, but—"</p><p>"Steve, honey, <em>please!"</em> Tony begged. "Tell me what happened this morning! I've never seen you like this, what the hell'd the general say to you that's got you so worked up?"</p><p>"O'Brien tried to get me to slander you," Steve spat out, his gorgeous face twisted in anger. "He tried to force me to say something that he could take and twist around so he could blame you for what happened to Bucky, and I can't—" He broke off, his shoulders shaking. "I wouldn't do it, sweetheart, but I think—I'm not—I can't lie, Tony, I've never been able to, and I think I only managed to make things worse, because—Tony, I swear, if he tries to do anything to you or to that little boy, if he even <em>looks </em>at you the wrong way, then I swear I'm gonna—"</p><p>"Okay, so I'm absolutely sure that you didn't make things worse," Tony cut in. His heart was thudding so hard it was practically echoing, but he couldn't afford to panic now. Not when Steve was right on the verge of it. "You're way, way too smart for that, so why don't you try again, yeah?"</p><p>The look Steve gave him, one of such immense gratitude and adoration mixed with so much intense self-loathing was almost too much for Tony to handle. The self-loathing he could understand since he had so much personal experience with that one, but the rest…</p><p>Even after all the time that had passed, and how often Steve told him so, Tony still wasn't used to how much Steve loved him.</p><p>"I don't think being smart has anything to do with it," Steve said. He looked down at their joined hands, trailing his fingertips along Tony's knuckles. "It was more like… rage. I was just so <em>angry</em>, Tony. So unbelievably angry that he would have the <em>gall </em>to try to imply, and I—I almost lost it, but—"</p><p>"But you didn't, honey, and that's all that matters," Tony said firmly. He didn't want to add that he was also more than a bit flattered at how Steve had defended his honour. Now wasn't really the time for one of his ill-timed attempts at humour. "Can you tell me what you said?"</p><p>Steve shrugged, swiping at his nose. "He asked me to tell him about the Stark family, so I basically just reiterated your credentials. I didn't say anything that wasn't already common knowledge throughout the Air Corps."</p><p>Tony's lips curled into a sneer. <em>Oohh, that goddamn sick son of a bitch! How fucking </em>dare <em>he!</em></p><p>"But I didn't say a single word about Peter," Steve added. "Not by name or by implication. I only spoke about you and your father."</p><p>"Oh, that's good," Tony said in a rush. For how much he hated the idea that most people saw his child as nothing more than a burden to society, at the moment it was probably much safer for Peter that way. The last thing Tony wanted was for Peter's vast intelligence to be somehow discovered and for him to be forced into governmental servitude, like Howard had allowed him to be.</p><p>"Honey, no one besides you, me, and a select few others know how smart Pete is, so—"</p><p>"I know, sweetheart," Steve said. "Peter told me that he hasn't been to school in over a year."</p><p>"Yeah, and when he did go he was bored out of his skull," Tony grumbled. "None of the goddamn teachers could even attempt to keep up with him, so they just labelled him a problem and didn't even try."</p><p>Steve shot him a sad look. "Is that also how it was for you?"</p><p>"Yeah, pretty much," Tony said with a shrug. "At least until I turned thirteen and got tested. I still mostly taught myself after that though."</p><p>"And you taught Peter," Steve said. "He told me that as well."</p><p>"Mmm, more like he taught me," said Tony. He huffed out a sharp breath. "But what's all this got to do with your ma?"</p><p>Instead of replying, Steve captured Tony's lips again, kissing him so hard and so deeply that Tony was panting by the time they broke apart.</p><p>"Okay, hon, but—"</p><p>"I want to move Peter to my ma's house," Steve blurted out. "Before I leave on the Phoenix mission."</p><p>Tony's jaw dropped into his lap. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting Steve to say, but it sure as hell hadn't been <em>that.</em></p><p>"Uhh, o-kay," he said slowly. "Can you tell me why?"</p><p>"No, I can't," Steve answered. He gripped Tony's hands even tighter, as if he was afraid they would be ripped away from him. "It's just a feeling that I have, one that I've had for awhile now. At first I thought it would be okay if we just had Bucky and Sam watch over him for us, but now… I thought about this during my entire patrol this afternoon, and I'm—I would just feel a lot better if Peter was away from the hospital. He's just way too vulnerable in that room all by himself."</p><p>"Holy shit," Tony whispered, the tears he'd been trying to hold back finally breaking free. "You really think that someone would try to—"</p><p>"I don't <em>know</em>, Tony, and that's what's killing me," Steve said, so full of agony that Tony's heart nearly cracked right down the middle. "But I can't take any chances, not with either of you. I'm pretty sure that you'll be okay while I'm gone since you'll be there at the base surrounded by people who can protect you, but Peter—sweetheart, he <em>won't</em> be, and… I'm so scared that I won't be able to concentrate on completing the mission if I'm worrying about him."</p><p>It was a completely understandable concern, and honestly one that Tony had had more than once since Peter's admission. He had always assumed that nothing bad could happen to Peter while the Air Corps still needed him, but while that assumption was likely a valid one, it would also cease to be valid as soon as Steve passed through the atmospheric barrier carrying the tesseract.</p><p>"Ma was an active-duty nurse up until about a year ago, sweetheart, and she was a damn good one," added Steve. "She kept me alive for eighteen years when a lot of doctors told her that I'd be dead long before then, so I know she would take excellent care of Peter."</p><p>Tony's lower lip was shaking, and he caught it between his teeth as he looked into the beautiful eyes of the man who he knew without a doubt loved his son just as much as he did.</p><p>"But, honey, she'd—" He broke off, clearing his throat. "We'd need to get her all the supplies, and the monitors, and—"</p><p>"Ma still has a ton of stuff left over from me," said Steve. "Including the overnight generator panel that she would need for Peter's oxygen tubes and IVs."</p><p>"We'd need to somehow get all of his medicines to her too," added Tony. "Pete's on a literal boatload of meds, so—"</p><p>"I can talk to Sharon, Peter's nurse," Steve said. "I know she'll be willing to help us. She's one of the good guys."</p><p>Tony tilted his head, his fingers clutching Steve's in a white-knuckled grip. "Pete's told me the same thing. He says she's one of the only nurses who acts like she actually cares about him."</p><p>"She's wonderful, Tony," said Steve. "She told me what an incredible father you were way back before I even met Peter for the first time, so I know she'd be willing to help us."</p><p>"Yeah, but by helping us she'd be risking arrest," Tony pointed out. "You think she'd be willing to do that?"</p><p>Steve's lips pressed together in what Tony had come to recognise as his <em>give 'em hell</em> look. "I'll make sure that she's well aware of the risks, but I still think she'll help us. Call it an... instinct."</p><p>The air temp inside the car seemed to have risen at least ten degrees over the course of their conversation, partially fogging up Tony's glasses and making him feel as though the walls were closing in. Sitting inside a parked car out in the rain was not the ideal place to be having such an intense conversation.</p><p>"All right, hon," he said softly, again stamping down the panic threatening to break free. "But I wanna meet your ma first, okay?"</p><p>"I wouldn't have it any other way." Steve pressed his lips to Tony's knuckles, practically melting with relief. "Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you for trusting me on this."</p><p>Tony wound one hand around the back of Steve's neck, pressing their foreheads together. "Oh gods, Steve, you don't need to thank me," he whispered. "You're sitting there all worried as hell after being forced by a literal dictator to defend me, and now you're gonna put your own mother in danger by asking her to harbour my son, and you think you need to thank me?"</p><p>"Yes, I do," Steve said firmly. "'Cause without you and Peter I don't know if I ever would've opened my eyes enough to see what was going on around me, and that's just inexcusable. No one should ever be that blind, Tony. Not ever."</p><p>"Yeah, well, before you I thought the only halfway decent pilots were Rhodey and Carol, so I think we've both learned a thing or two." Tony tilted his head, brushing a soft kiss across Steve's lips. While the rain hadn't slowed down at all, the sky had grown almost completely dark just in the last few minutes, which meant that the nightly curfew would be starting soon. "Is it okay if we finish this conversation once we get back? It's getting pretty close to Pete's bedtime, and—"</p><p>"Yes, I'd like that," Steve said. "There's still a lot more to discuss."</p><p>"All right." Tony wasn't sure how much more discussion he could take at the moment, but if it helped Steve to sleep better so he could be more alert for his patrol in the morning, he would do it.</p><p>Ever the gentleman, Steve insisted on coming around to Tony's side with an umbrella before they headed inside the hospital, the hallway dim and quiet as they made their way down to Peter's room.</p><p>"There you guys are!" Peter exclaimed as soon as they stepped inside, his round face so pale and drawn that Tony's heart gave a painful lurch. He had been trying hard to deny the fact that despite being in the hospital Peter's condition was still steadily worsening, but it was getting to the point now where it was almost impossible to ignore.</p><p>Peter didn't have much time left, which meant that none of them did. Project Phoenix needed to find its wings soon, before the whole entire thing just burned up, leaving nothing behind but ashes.</p><p>"We're really sorry we're so late tonight, little guy," Steve said as he pulled Peter into a huge but careful hug, one that Peter had taken to calling his papa bear hug. "There's… there's been—"</p><p>"I know what happened," Peter cut in. "With Papa and General O'Brien. Ms Sharon told me."</p><p>"You do? Wait, she what?" exclaimed Tony, shooting Steve a questioning glance, one that he answered with a shrug. "How in the—?"</p><p>He was interrupted by a knock at the door, and once again his jaw practically hit the floor as it opened to reveal Sam Wilson pushing Bucky Barnes in a wheelchair, his entire left side from his shoulder to his hip still covered in white bandages, followed closely by Sharon the nurse.</p><p>"Uhh, does someone wanna tell me what the hell's going on here?" Tony said warily. "In my son's hospital room? At his bedtime?"</p><p>"Tony," Steve said gently as he reached for his hand. "Sweetheart, I think I might have a good idea. Let's just listen for a bit, okay?"</p><p>Tony frowned, but nodded as he sat down on Peter's bed, curling his arm around his son's skinny shoulders as Sharon took a datapad from Bucky's lap and tapped it several times.</p><p>"All right," she said. "I think we're good for now."</p><p>"Oh, we are, are we?" Tony snapped. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"Sharon?" Steve asked. "Are you—?"</p><p>"Undercover?" she said. "Yes, for about the last three years, along with a few others here and there."</p><p>"Okay, but undercover for what?" demanded Tony. "And why the hell didn't anyone ever tell me?"</p><p>"Colonel Phillips deemed it too dangerous for you and Peter to know," explained Sharon. "He wanted for you to be able to maintain deniability for as long as possible. As soon as the colonel got word of Peter's impending admission, he made sure that I was assigned to him."</p><p>"Okay, but assigned to do what?" barked Tony. His temper, stoked by his confusion and barely-controlled panic was quickly reaching its boiling point, tempered only by the fact that for some reason, Peter didn't seem all that surprised.</p><p>"She was assigned to help protect me," Peter said. "She just told me this afternoon, Dad. Colonel Phillips arranged it."</p><p>"Colonel Phillips also called me this afternoon, Tony," said Sam. "As soon as Steve was airborne. Told us the whole thing."</p><p>"He did?" Steve asked. "Then you guys must know that—"</p><p>"We're with you, Stevie," said Bucky. "Or at least as much as we can be." He dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head. "Yesterday I got a call from some staffer assigned to one of O'Brien's inner circle, who proceeded to tell me that since I was injured on a mission that wasn't associated with either the protection or the defence of Langara, that I wouldn't qualify for the compensation fund for injured pilots."</p><p>"What?" exclaimed Steve. "But the trial mission was still sanctioned by the government, so I don't understand how—!"</p><p>"There's really nothing about it to understand, Steve," said Sam, practically spitting the words. "The only message here is that instead of taking care of one of their own who almost died for his country, our government is turning its back on him just 'cause he can't fly anymore." He let out a morbid chuckle, his hand resting protectively on Bucky's uninjured shoulder. "They even had the gall to tell Bucky that he's gonna be billed for any treatment that he receives from that point on, even though the docs haven't even cleared him to be discharged yet. There was no mention of a prosthesis, physical therapy, nothing. They're just completely hanging him out to dry."</p><p>"Which means as of 1354 hours yesterday, I'm technically a civilian," said Bucky. "They even told me that they already cleaned out my room, said I could pick up my belongings once I got out." He glanced up at Sam. "Good thing I had most of my stuff at Sam's, or who the hell knows where it would've ended up."</p><p>"Oh gods, Buck," Steve said softly, his voice heavy with guilt. "I am so sorry!"</p><p>"No, don't be sorry," Bucky said through clenched teeth. "Be pissed instead, like I am."</p><p>"It's just like what happened with Uncle James, Dad," said Peter. "Remember when they wanted to dump him too? He told me that Colonel Phillips almost lost his job trying to convince the government to keep him on, and that's just not okay. To cut off a person's access to treatment just because he can't fly anymore, or to kick people out of the Air Corps just because someone doesn't see them as useful anymore, it's just not right. And it's got to stop."</p><p>Tony gave his head a hard shake, trying to get his mind to stop spinning. Peter was absolutely correct, he knew that. But at the same time, he was <em>Peter.</em> He was Tony's son, his boy who was dying a slow, agonising death, and he needed to make absolutely sure that even through all of the madness erupting all around them, that he <em>didn't.</em></p><p>"Okay, but just… hang on a second, yeah?" Tony asked. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with shaking fingers. "It's not that I mind you guys visiting with my son, 'cause I know he loves the company, but don't you think that someone should've asked me first?"</p><p>"We tried, Mr Stark," said Sharon. "I called up to the base looking for you this morning, and I was told that you could not be interrupted."</p><p>"And who told you that?" demanded Steve. "Tony wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary today, so—"</p><p>"I didn't get a name," Sharon said. "But that also meant that I didn't want to risk asking for it either. I've had Captains Wilson and Barnes in here with Peter for most of the day today because I felt it was in Peter's best interests, so if I was wrong about that, I apologise."</p><p>"No, Dad, she wasn't wrong, it was awesome having them with me!" said Peter. "Captain Wilson even taught me this really cool card game, and—"</p><p>"And I've told you that you can drop the 'Captain', right, kiddo?" said Sam. "Round here I'm just Sam, all right?"</p><p>Peter ducked his head, his huge brown eyes glancing up at Tony. "My dad taught me that was the polite way to say it."</p><p>"As long as it's okay with him it's okay with me, buddy," Tony murmured. He pressed a kiss to Peter's temple, wishing so badly that he could somehow make all of this just go away already.</p><p>But he couldn't. Like it or not, Project Phoenix had now become like the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill, growing and gaining speed as it went.</p><p>"Then how 'bout I call you 'Uncle Sam'?" Peter asked. "And Uncle Bucky? You're both like brothers to my papa anyway, right?"</p><p>Tony watched as Bucky shot Steve a rather goofy smirk. "Is that what Stevie told ya?"</p><p>Steve smiled, the first true smile Tony had seen from him all day. "Yeah, I did," he said. "'Cause it's the truth. And even more so now."</p><p>"Well, all right then," said Sam. "If we're really gonna do this, what're our orders?"</p><p>Steve looked over at Tony, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"No, no, don't you be looking at me," Tony replied. "Call it, Captain."</p><p>About a thousand different emotions all crossed Steve's bright blue eyes at once, and he reached for Tony's hand across Peter, giving it a single hard squeeze.</p><p><em>It's gonna be okay, sweetheart, </em>his eyes said. <em>Do you trust me?</em></p><p>To which Tony's eyes responded, <em>I do.</em></p><p>"All right, then," Steve said, his lips pursed in determination. "Here's what we're gonna do."</p><hr/><p>Eight days.</p><p>Between the growing suspicions with General O'Brien—Steve was about ninety-five percent convinced that the Meridian spy was reporting directly to the general, or vice versa—increasing concerns about possible Meridian retaliation, and Peter's worsening condition, Steve, Tony, Sharon, and Sam had decided they couldn't wait any longer than that to initialise Project Phoenix.</p><p><em>Only </em>eight days. It wasn't enough time, but it was all they could spare.</p><p>They ended up working late into the night, until Peter's eyelids grew so heavy that he could no longer keep them open and Tony insisted that they needed to let him get some sleep. By the time he and Tony had tucked Peter into bed and kissed him goodnight it was well after 2300 hours, and while the almost overwhelming anguish that had been hanging across Steve's shoulders like a lead veil ever since that morning had lessened a bit, his heart was still heavy with worry.</p><p>What they were planning, if anything happened to go wrong, then… there was no telling what could happen.</p><p><em>No, </em>Steve thought with a firm shake of his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. Not now, not when everyone was looking to him to lead the most important mission he'd ever led in his life.</p><p>At least the rain had stopped, leaving only the fat droplets that sprinkled down from the tall trees lining the walkway to shower them as he and Tony headed for the barracks. He had intended to talk to Tony about Operation Darkstalker, or at least ask if he'd ever heard about it, but after all of the rather unexpected events of the evening he had decided to wait. It was late, both he and Tony were exhausted, and he still had a patrol shift in the morning.</p><p>For the time being—<em>eight more days</em>—they absolutely had to continue with the status quo, no matter how hard it was going to be.</p><p>Unfortunately, the fact that Bucky was due to be discharged from the hospital sometime in the next two or three days meant that they had to coordinate Peter's transfer over to Ma's house sooner rather than later. As much as Steve trusted Sharon, neither Steve nor Tony wanted her to have to be solely responsible for Peter's safety, especially since her cover depended on her continuing her job as normal and Peter wasn't her only patient. Peter, of course, had tried to convince them that he would be fine where he was but Steve and Tony weren't having it, finally forcing Tony to use the "because I said so" excuse to convince him to cooperate.</p><p>Steve could understand Peter's hesitation. Asking him to move from the hospital, where he was semi-comfortable and mainly knew what to expect, into a house with an older woman who he didn't know at all was asking a lot of a sick boy, especially since his twelfth birthday was in only about three weeks' time. Sam and Bucky had promised that they would be there at the house with Peter as often as possible, and had even arranged for Bucky to have most of his follow-up therapy appointments there, appointments that Sam was going to have to pay for out of his own pocket now that Bucky had been dumped out of the Air Corps.</p><p>"Steve," Tony said as Steve unlocked the building's front door, holding it open for Tony to walk through. "Honey, we need to get you something to eat, yeah?"</p><p>"All right," Steve answered. He wasn't the least bit hungry, but he knew if he didn't eat something that Tony would worry about him, and the last thing that Tony needed was even more worry added to his already overburdened mind.</p><p>Grabbing their usual array of sandwiches and bottles of superwater, he and Tony ate in relative silence, clinging to each other's hands by the light of a lone handlamp as Steve's old big band music played in the background. For only one evening's work they had managed to get quite a bit accomplished, but the plans weren't completed yet. There were still way too many unanswered questions for Steve's taste, the most important of those being who else in the Air Corps would support Project Phoenix, and who would not.</p><p>Steve already had a pretty strong feeling about most of his fellow pilots. In addition to underestimating Steve himself, General O'Brien also seemed to have underestimated the bond that the pilots shared. To Steve they were his extended family, even those like John Sheppard and Major Kowalski who he didn't personally know as well, but he could not assume that they all held a similar conviction without more evidence, and knowing who they could trust would be an absolute requirement going forward.</p><p>Especially since Tony was going to be stuck on the ground trying to coordinate the mission pretty much by himself. Even with Colonel Phillips there with him, Steve did not want Tony in any more danger than was absolutely necessary. Once he and Carol made it through the atmospheric barrier and out into space they would be relatively safe, their only concern being to ensure that the tesseract and the satellites were deployed correctly. The real battles would be taking place in Langaran airspace and on Langaran soil, making proper support and protection a necessity. Aside from Tony and Peter's safety, there were potentially going to be a lot of frightened civilians once everything began, and Steve absolutely did not want to cause a panic.</p><p>
  <em>Eight days.</em>
</p><p>It wasn't enough time, but it was all they had.</p><p>He felt Tony gently tug on his hand. "It's getting pretty late, hon, don't you think?"</p><p>Steve gave a nod, downing the last of his superwater before gathering up all of their wrappers and tossing them into the wastebin. Then he got to his feet, pulling Tony up with him and curling his right arm around his waist, his left hand tucking Tony's right hand against his chest as Tony's left hand fell into place on Steve's arm. Steve pressed his cheek to Tony's forehead as they gently swayed to the music, closing his eyes as he revelled in their closeness.</p><p>"Honey, we don't have to do this tonight," Tony murmured. "It's late, and you're just about zonked, so—"</p><p>"Shh. I want to," whispered Steve. He tightened his arm around Tony, breathing in the glorious scent of his hair. "Please, sweetheart. I just—I just need to hold you."</p><p>"All right, babe, all right," Tony said, softly sighing as he snuggled in even closer. "It's okay. We're okay. I love you."</p><p>Warmth burst across Steve's chest, and he slipped his fingertips underneath Tony's shirt, craving the feel of his skin against his.</p><p>"I love you too," he murmured as he slid his palm up Tony's back, drawing his shirt up. "<em>Gods, </em>I love you so much."</p><p>"<em>Steve,"</em> Tony said on a gasp as Steve dipped his head to capture his lips. Steve let out a soft moan as his tongue found Tony's, not realising until that very second just how badly he needed him.</p><p>"Please," Steve rasped as he broke away from Tony's lips, trailing kisses down his jaw to his neck. "Sweetheart, <em>please."</em></p><p>Tony whimpered as he slid his palms across Steve's shoulders and up to cup his face. "Anything, Steve. I'll give you anything."</p><p>Steve shook his head as he drew back, quickly removing Tony's glasses and gliding his t-shirt over his head before lifting him into his arms and placing him gently on the bed. Steve crawled up over him, gently tracing his index finger down the faint scar on his chest, Tony's beautiful brown eyes shining in the near-darkness as he curled his arms around Steve’s shoulders.</p><p>"I just need you, sweetheart," Steve said. "Just you."</p><p>Tony's breath hitched, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.</p><p>"You've got me, honey," he said. "Always."</p><p>"Always," Steve repeated as he brought his lips back to Tony's. <em>Always means forever.</em></p><p>They made love slowly, taking their time despite the lateness of the hour, their kisses and caresses languid and peaceful as their bodies moved together in the intricate dance they had perfected over the last couple of months.</p><p>And when it was over, when the last of their combined cries of pleasure had bounced off the walls of the room and they had managed to drag themselves into the tiny bathroom to clean up, they lay back down on the bed, curling up together under the sheets with Tony's arm draped across Steve's waist and his chest pressed up against Steve's back. Most of the time it was the other way around, with Steve being the "big spoon", as Tony liked to call it. But on this night Tony just knew that it needed to be different, that it was Steve who needed to be held while they slept. That he needed to feel Tony pressed up against him, infusing him with the strength that he felt he was lacking.</p><p>And as he drifted off, his fingers intertwined with Tony's and Tony's warm breath against his neck, Steve knew without a doubt that he was loved, and that Tony had his back, no matter what.</p><p>
  <em>T-minus eight days, and counting.</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😎 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope all of you guys are staying safe and healthy 💖 </p><p>Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  😊</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hmm… it's not quite there yet. Something's…" Peter murmured as he tilted his head, inspecting his work. His tongue poked out between his teeth as he darkened a few lines near the elbow joint and added in the outline of a forgotten pinky fingernail. There was no sense in having a fully-functional prosthesis without the appropriate fingernails.</p><p>"There," he said, nodding in approval. "That's better."</p><p>Setting down his notebook and pencil, Peter lay back against his pillows, briefly closing his eyes. He was getting so tired lately from just the tiniest things. Even drawing, something that he used to be able to do all day back when he was first admitted, was starting to wear him out. Just in the last week or so he'd gotten to the point where he had to take a break about every ten to fifteen minutes, making it that much harder to actually get anything done.</p><p>And he absolutely <em>had </em>to get Uncle Bucky's new arm finished. With how fast he was deteriorating and with Papa leaving on his mission in only a few days, Peter didn't figure that he'd still be around by the time Dad was actually able to build it, and he didn't want Dad to have any unanswerable questions about its design.</p><p>It was the least he could do for his papa's best friend.</p><p>He was in that sort of weird stage between sleep and not-quite-sleep when he heard someone knock on his door.</p><p>"Come in?" he said, grimacing at how weak he sounded. He cleared his throat, pushing himself up to a sitting position as Uncle Bucky stepped through the door.</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," he said. He sounded gruff, like he'd just woken up. "Sleep okay?"</p><p>"Um, yeah, I guess," answered Peter. He rubbed at his nose, watching as Uncle Bucky awkwardly lowered himself down onto the hard chair next to his bed and wondering where Uncle Sam was. Uncle Bucky looked absolutely exhausted, with huge purple circles under his eyes and his hair all knotted and messy. Papa had told Peter way back in the beginning that Air Corps pilots—or at least the men, since Auntie Carol's hair was long—were required to get haircuts once a week, which meant that Uncle Bucky had already missed at least one of his.</p><p>"You don't look like you did, though," Peter gently added. "You look really tired."</p><p>Uncle Bucky shrugged, his upper lip curling into a sneer as he glanced down at his left shoulder, and the arm that wasn't there.</p><p>"Arm was hurting again last night," he said quietly. "Couldn't get comfy. Sam tried to help, but… eventually it got so bad that I sent him back to the barracks to get some sleep. Poor guy hasn't had a decent night since—" He broke off, gulping. "Well… <em>since."</em></p><p>"Oh," Peter said, even though he didn't quite understand. No matter what Uncle Bucky said, it still didn't make sense that Uncle Sam wasn't there. The only time Peter had seen Uncle Sam anywhere other than at Uncle Bucky's side was when he'd gone to get him food.</p><p>Peter had done some research on phantom limb pain when he'd borrowed Uncle Bucky's datapad the day before—a not-so-easy task since pretty much all of the available information was on sites that were not government-sanctioned—and what he'd read had horrified him. The descriptions of the searing, burning pain radiating up and down the limb that was no longer there were awful, with testimonies of the pain sometimes ratcheting up to such high levels that the patients tried to take their own lives to be rid of it.</p><p>It was horrible, is what it was. And also something that the Air Corps flat-out denounced, clinging to the notion that it was clearly impossible to feel anything in a non-existent limb. Peter had heard Uncle Sam on the phone just the other day, begging the physical therapist that he'd hired to help Uncle Bucky to come up with something, anything to help him with the pain that he felt every single night, as soon as the lights went out.</p><p>Just like Dad, Uncle Bucky was now afraid of the dark.</p><p>"I'm really sorry," Peter added, as if his sentiments would somehow help. "It's not fair that you have to go through all that."</p><p>Uncle Bucky attempted a smile. He only managed what Peter would call a kind of quarter-smile, but he supposed it was better than nothing.</p><p>"No, it's not," said Uncle Bucky. "But then, neither's what you're going through. It's all just a bunch of bullshit."</p><p>"Yeah, that's true." Peter couldn't argue with that one at all.</p><p>"Even more reason to get Project Phoenix up and running, right?" he added. "Make sure nothing like this ever happens again?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky scoffed. "You really think it'll change things that much?"</p><p>There was a short pause as Peter pondered Uncle Bucky's question. Now that the Phoenix mission was only a few days away he had honestly been wondering that very same thing. Wondering if it was really worth risking so many people's lives—or livelihoods—on something that wasn't a given. Wondering that even with all of the optimism that Papa tried to project during their nightly meetings, if deep down he feared that something might still go wrong.</p><p>And if it did… if Papa somehow got caught or shot down or something, or even worse, then…</p><p>Then they'd all be arrested. Every last one of them.</p><p>Just like Grandpa.</p><p>Only this time, they would actually be guilty.</p><p>And while Peter knew that Papa and Dad would try and protect him if something like that were to happen, there was no way that Peter was going to just sit by and let everyone else take the blame for his idea. He'd been the one who had pushed Dad into developing Project Phoenix, and if anyone deserved to be punished for it, it was him.</p><p>Whether the people in charge would actually believe that he had anything to do with it would be another story altogether, especially since no one but a few select people knew of his intelligence, but Peter was trying to not think too much about that part. It's not like the government didn't already know how precarious his condition was. They were the ones who'd allowed him to get so sick in the first place.</p><p>"I have to," Peter finally answered. He let out a hapless shrug, biting his bottom lip. "Otherwise, what's the point? What's going on, it needs to stop. It all needs to stop. 'Cause if it doesn't, then what happened to my papa's papa, and my Uncle James, and to you, it'll just happen again to someone else down the road. And that's just not okay."</p><p>Uncle Bucky raised his eyebrows, shifting slightly on the chair. "That's a pretty straightforward way of lookin' at it, don't you think?"</p><p>"Yeah, I guess," answered Peter. "But sometimes it just is that straightforward. No one should be dumped from their job just 'cause they got hurt. No one should be threatened to be put out on the streets with a tiny baby just 'cause their spouse was killed, and no one—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I get what you're saying, kiddo," said Uncle Bucky. He dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head. "I guess I never realised that when they're sucking you in with all of their promises of riches and glory, they never once tell you that you're gonna have to sell your soul for it. I mean, I saw Stevie's ma. I saw how hard she had to work when my ma didn't, and I guess I just assumed that it was 'cause Steve was always so sick, so…"</p><p>"Well, you were a kid," said Peter. "And you were healthy, right?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky nodded. "Yep."</p><p>"Well, then that right there makes a huge difference," Peter said. "If you're in the military all your medicines and stuff are paid for, but if you're not, then they're not. And that stuff's really expensive. My dad… he'll have to work pretty much forever to pay for all of mine."</p><p>"Yeah, but that's only an excuse," Uncle Bucky said. "The thing is, I never even questioned it. My ma and papa never talked about it. We had Stevie over at the house just about every single day, and he'd be wheezing and hacking and running that steamer thingy of his all the time to try and help him breathe, and no one even questioned it. It was just how things were."</p><p>Peter's ears perked up. He'd gotten the impression from Papa that he didn't enjoy talking about his childhood all that much, and especially not to Peter, so aside from a few basic questions Peter hadn't asked him too much about it.</p><p>"How sick was he?" he quietly asked. "My papa, how bad was he?"</p><p>"He was pretty bad," said Uncle Bucky. "There were a lot of nights when he slept at our house 'cause his ma was working an overnight shift or something, and he'd be wheezing so bad that he sounded like a dull aircraft engine. Some of those nights I'd even force myself to stay awake just to make sure that he didn't stop breathing."</p><p>"Yikes," Peter said, wincing. "That must've been scary."</p><p>"It was for me," Uncle Bucky said. "Stevie, though, he just seemed to accept it. For him, it was normal."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense." Peter could understand that part too. After living so long with so many restrictions, eventually the restrictions cease to be restrictions and just become the new normal.</p><p>Which was pretty much the same thing the military government did when they took power. From what Grandpa had told Peter, the restrictions that they imposed on the civilian population were so severe that they were basically unsustainable, but that no one was able to push back against them because there was such an overwhelming sense of panic due to the horrific Battle of the Continents and the nationwide power outage. By the time the outage had been addressed—with the temporary fix that was still in place to that day—the time for concerted pushback had long passed, and anyone who dared to try and complain was quickly "taken care of".</p><p>"Well, it's not gonna be normal anymore," Peter said firmly. "Not after Papa and Auntie Carol get back from their mission."</p><p>"I hope you're right, kiddo," Uncle Bucky said. He tipped his head back, rubbing at his closed eyes and looking so downtrodden that a knot rose in Peter's throat.</p><p>Something else was going on.</p><p>"Uncle Bucky?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Um… something else is wrong, isn't it?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky raised his head, quirking an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"</p><p>Peter's lips twitched. He was going to have to tread carefully.</p><p>"Well… it's just… I've never seen you in here without Uncle Sam, and I'm just wondering—"</p><p>"I told you," Uncle Bucky cut in. "I sent Sam home to get some sleep. Guy was exhausted."</p><p>"Yeah, I know, but… why'd he listen to you?"</p><p>"Huh?" said Uncle Bucky, his eyebrows knitting into a frown. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"I just mean… from what I've seen of him, he hasn't left you alone for a single minute since you got hurt, so I just don't see why he'd leave you alone now, unless… you made him leave."</p><p>Uncle Bucky flinched, shifting on the chair, and for a few seconds Peter was afraid that he'd hit such a strong nerve that Uncle Bucky was going to get up and walk out.</p><p>But then tears filled his eyes, and he slumped down so low in the chair that he almost slid completely off.</p><p>"You're pretty perceptive. Aren't ya," he said quietly.</p><p>"My dad always says that I am," said Peter. "And my papa's said it a couple times too."</p><p>And Uncle James had mentioned it a few times to Peter as well. As had Grandpa, and Ms Sharon, and a couple of his old friends back in school, but Peter figured that the point had been made well enough.</p><p>"Well, maybe if you talk about it a bit, it might help?" Peter continued. "My dad and my grandpa never talked all that much when I was little, unless you count bickering as talking, which I don't, but… I think it's partly why their relationship is so bad. Well, that plus the fact that my grandpa's drunk a lot of the time, but… I know that's not a problem with Uncle Sam, so…"</p><p>"No, it's not," Uncle Bucky said, so softly that Peter barely heard him. He let out a heavy sigh, a single tear rolling down his right cheek that he quickly swiped away. "Sam's the best of the best. There's no way I could do better than him."</p><p>"Okay," said Peter. "So… then what happened?"</p><p>Another tear rolled down Uncle Bucky's cheek, pooling into the scruffy whiskers covering his chin.</p><p>"He doesn't—he just doesn't deserve to be saddled with a cripple," Uncle Bucky whispered. "He's already spent over three month's pay on setting up a house for me to live in and physical therapies and all the other shit I'm gonna need in order to function, and it's—it's just not fair to him. He deserves better."</p><p>"But he's doing all of that because he loves you," Peter said. "I've seen it. He loves you like my dad loves my papa."</p><p>"Neh," Uncle Bucky said, sneering. "That may be true, but he still shouldn't be punished for what happened to me. It's not fair to him. He can still fly, can still advance in his career. I'd—I'd only be dragging him down."</p><p>Peter gulped. He knew he was approaching dangerous territory, but aside from the fact that he thought Uncle Bucky was just being silly in trying to push Uncle Sam away, with Project Phoenix coming up so soon Peter couldn't afford for Uncle Bucky and Uncle Sam's personal issues to overshadow any of Papa's planning. Peter knew that Papa was already going to be worried enough about him and Dad while he was gone, and the last thing he needed was even more to worry about.</p><p>"Um… I'm sorry if this sounds kinda harsh, but… don't you think that should be Uncle Sam's choice?" Peter asked. "I mean, did you ask him how he feels?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky huffed, shaking his head. "I don't have to ask him. I already know."</p><p>"Okay, and you still love him, right?" asked Peter. "Your accident didn't change that?"</p><p>Again, Uncle Bucky shook his head. "There's no way that it could."</p><p>Peter made a frustrated noise. What was it about grownups and their goofy ideas when it came to the people they loved?</p><p>"Then—?"</p><p>"I was gonna ask him to marry me," Uncle Bucky sputtered, tears now flowing freely down his face. "I'd already bought the ring, and made the dinner reservations, and—and now… now there's just no way—"</p><p>"But <em>why?"</em> Peter exclaimed. "Why isn't there a way? Uncle Sam doesn't care that you lost an arm, 'cause he didn't only love your arm! He loves all of you!"</p><p>"It's just not the same, Peter, okay?" Uncle Bucky snapped. "It's not—I can't even hold him the same way anymore!"</p><p>"So?" Peter snapped back. "I can't climb trees anymore! I can't help my dad build stuff in his garage, or even go outside, but that doesn't mean that my dads don't still love me!"</p><p>Peter's eyes went wide as soon as the words left his mouth, thinking that he might've finally pushed Uncle Bucky over the edge. He held his breath, watching as Uncle Bucky's mouth opened and closed three separate times before he finally hung his head.</p><p>"You know who you sound like?" he asked.</p><p>Peter shook his head. "Who?"</p><p>"Stevie," said Uncle Bucky. "'Cause I'm pretty sure if he were here right now that he'd say the exact same thing."</p><p>Pride welled up in Peter's belly, and he smiled widely. "Well, Papa is pretty smart. And he's known you for pretty much your whole life, so I think you should listen to him."</p><p>"You mean, listen to you," said Uncle Bucky.</p><p>"Well… yeah. That too."</p><p>Uncle Bucky sighed, scrubbing at his eyes with his palm. "I just… I just don't know what to do with myself. My whole life has revolved around the Air Corps. It's all I've known since I was old enough to know what it was, and now—"</p><p>"So you try something else," Peter said. "And if that doesn't work then you try something else, and you just keep trying until you find something else that you love to do. You just gotta keep swimming."</p><p>"Huh?" Uncle Bucky said, confused. "Who said anything about swimming?"</p><p>"Oh, it's just a saying from a show that I liked when I was really little, before the government took it away," Peter said quickly. "It basically means that you just gotta keep on going until things get better." He paused, again weighing his next words carefully. "And you've still got one arm to hold Uncle Sam with, right?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky choked out what sounded kinda like a laugh. "Yeah. I guess I do."</p><p>"And besides, it's only gonna be temporary anyway," added Peter. He flipped open his notebook, showing Uncle Bucky the design for his prosthesis. "My dad's gonna build this for you once Project Phoenix is over."</p><p>Uncle Bucky's lower lip started to shake as he reached his hand over to the notebook, his fingertips tracing along the outer pencilled lines.</p><p>"It's—it's… ahh… you really made this?" he quietly asked. "For me?"</p><p>"Uh huh," said Peter. "Well, I just drew it. My dad'll be the one who'll build it."</p><p>"Yeah, but… you don't—you only just met me?"</p><p>Peter shrugged. "You're my papa's best friend, so… that means you're our family."</p><p>"Your family," Uncle Bucky murmured. "That's… that's…" He broke off, letting out a kind of morbid chuckle before turning very serious. "Peter, I don't—I used to think that the Starks were… well… that they were—"</p><p>"Let me stop you right there," Peter interrupted. "I know what you're gonna say, and you don't have to, okay? I've heard it my whole life."</p><p>"Yeah, but I need to say this," said Uncle Bucky, thick and low. "Peter, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for judging your father before I even knew him, and I'm sorry for what you've been through because of people like me. It's not—it's not right. None of it's right."</p><p>"No, it's not," Peter agreed. "And that's why we're gonna change it. But first you need to go and call Uncle Sam, okay?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky gave a nod, sniffing as he pushed himself up from the chair. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." He shot Peter a wink as he opened the door. "Thanks, kiddo."</p><p>Peter smiled as he watched Uncle Bucky go, feeling rather proud of himself.</p><p>
  <em>That's one crisis averted.</em>
</p><p>Now, it was onto the next.</p><hr/><p>"JARVIS, go ahead and do another run-through of the guidance systems, yeah?" Tony asked. He had just uploaded yet another set of Peter's upgrades to JARVIS's programming, and while he hadn't found that Peter had made a single mistake yet, with the mission only a few days away Tony couldn't be too careful.</p><p>"Guidance systems show no errors, sir," JARVIS answered a few seconds later.</p><p>Tony nodded as he took a sip from the cup of coffee Rhodey had brought him about half an hour ago, along with the news that Steve's patrol shift was going to be cut short by one hour so that the X-302 aircraft could undergo a more thorough maintenance check.</p><p>Which was basically code for, 'Phillips wants to make absolutely sure that the condition of the two remaining space-faring aircraft is as good as it can possibly be'.</p><p>It'd been something that Steve had requested after he'd managed to convince the other X-302 pilots to go along with Project Phoenix, a feat that had both surprised Tony with its ease and not surprised him. For all of his nice-guy, <em>aw shucks </em>persona, Tony knew that Steve could be damn convincing when he wanted to be, and especially about something that he believed in with every fibre of his being.</p><p>The perfect soldier, indeed. Just not exactly the kind that the Air Corps thought they had.</p><p>So as it stood, they now had the support of the entire group of X-302 pilots, with Steve's next step being to discuss the plan with the pilots of the other patrol shifts. He had told Tony the night before that Major Lorne had even offered to help put out feelers for some of the B-shift pilots since he was pretty good friends with several of them, a nice demonstration of loyalty that not even Steve had anticipated.</p><p>Steve had also told Tony that in order to have the kind of air support necessary for him and Carol to make it through the atmospheric barrier, he would need the backing of at least half of all the patrol pilots. Fending off possible attacks from Langara's ground forces or from pilots loyal to General O'Brien would be critical for the mission's success, as would defending against any possible attacks from Meridian forces.</p><p>"We're asking so much of them, Tony," Steve had said as he'd held Tony in his arms after making love the night before. "We're asking them to potentially give up their freedom, their livelihood, even their lives, and yet—"</p><p>"And yet, they're agreeing to it 'cause you pitched it to 'em," Tony had replied. "They trust you, honey. They believe in you."</p><p>Steve had shaken his head, pressing a soft kiss to Tony's forehead. "No, it's not because I pitched it to them. It's because it's the right thing to do."</p><p>"Yep," Tony had said as he'd burrowed closer. "Just like Pete said."</p><p>
  <em>That's my boy.</em>
</p><p>Taking another sip of his coffee—<em>glorious coffee!</em>—Tony tapped a few commands into his keyboard, bringing up the newest encryption layers that Peter had given him the night before.</p><p>"JARVIS, incorporate these commands into your matrix and then run another diagnostic, okay?"</p><p>"Very good, sir."</p><p>Tony leaned back as the computer began to whir, idly sipping his coffee as he watched the screen flicker with each update of the now fifteen layers of encryption.</p><p>"Updates incorporated and diagnostic completed, sir," JARVIS said a few minutes later. "No problems noted."</p><p>"Good," said Tony. "Thanks."</p><p>"You are most welcome, sir."</p><p>Tony's breath hitched at JARVIS's reply, nostalgia hitting him like a missile right to the heart. "<em>You are most welcome, Master Tony,"</em> Mr Jarvis had always said. It was never just a simple 'your welcome', like most people offered—when they bothered to offer it at all. It was always 'you are <em>most </em>welcome'.</p><p>To Mr Jarvis, Tony had apparently been someone worthy of more than just the usual 'your welcome'.</p><p>Tears sprang to Tony's eyes without warning, and he huffed, quickly blinking them away. Mr Jarvis had been dead for almost half Tony's life already, and while there still wasn't a day that passed where Tony didn't miss him, he couldn't afford to get all weepy-eyed and sappy about him now. Not when the fate of Peter and everyone else in their country was at stake.</p><p>He had no doubt, though, that if Mr Jarvis were still alive, he would do whatever he could to help them. While he had never been too overtly vocal about his dissatisfaction with the Langaran military government—because most intelligent adults knew that anything they said could be used as ammunition for a possible sedition arrest—Tony had been able to glean enough from what Mr Jarvis did say to know exactly how he'd felt about it.</p><p>"And that's all that matters," Tony mumbled.</p><p>"Pardon me, sir?" JARVIS said. "I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that?"</p><p>Tony shook his head, sniffing. "It's nothing, J. So, the guidance systems are good?"</p><p>"They are indeed, sir."</p><p>"And you've updated the program that calculates the go/no-go points?" That program had been one of the first things Peter had written, and it had worked so well on the trial mission that Tony hadn't given it much thought since.</p><p>"Yes, sir," answered JARVIS. "Since the actual mission will be much longer than the trial, Master Peter has implemented several new protocols to ensure that the new go/no-go points will be accurate based on atmospheric conditions and other such parameters."</p><p>Tony smiled proudly, drumming his fingers against his cup. "That's my boy."</p><p>"Indeed, sir."</p><p>He had just downed the last of his coffee when there came a series of three sharp knocks on his door, with Steve poking his head in a second later.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart," he said as he stepped inside, avoiding a precariously leaning stack of papers as he made his way over to Tony. He glanced briefly at the computer screen, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.</p><p>"Everything going okay in here?"</p><p>"Yep," Tony said. He tilted his head up to meet Steve's lips, grabbing onto his face when he tried to pull away too fast. Steve was dressed in Tony's favourite blue t-shirt—the one that exactly matched his eyes—and with his blond hair still damp from his shower combined with the brown leather jacket slung casually over his arm, Steve Rogers was the absolutely picture-perfect example of perfection in human form.</p><p>"Damn," Tony murmured once he finally released him. "It's too bad that we have plans, 'cause you are looking especially hot at the moment."</p><p>Steve smiled, brushing another light kiss across Tony's lips. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You seem… distressed."</p><p>"Nah, I'm fine," Tony said quickly, scowling when Steve raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I s'pose I might just be a bit nervous about meeting your ma."</p><p>"And I've told you that you have no reason to be nervous," Steve said. He tugged on Tony's hand, pulling him up to his feet and wrapping his arms around Tony's waist. "Ma's gonna love you, sweetheart. There's nothing for you to be nervous about."</p><p>"Yeah, we'll see," Tony muttered, rolling his eyes when Steve's worry wrinkle immediately sprang into action. "Sorry, hon. It's kinda like a reflex."</p><p>"Please, don't be sorry," Steve said. He tucked Tony's head under his chin, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "There's no need to be sorry."</p><p>"Mmm," Tony mumbled against Steve's chest, breathing in the glorious scent of his soap mixed in with the underlying hint of vanilla that seemed to just seep from Steve's skin. "If you say so."</p><p>"And I do." Steve pressed a final kiss to Tony's lips. "Are you ready to go? Ma told me that she'd have dinner waiting for us once we got there, so…"</p><p>Tony sucked in a deep breath. He had been hoping for just a quick introduction, thinking he would have plenty of time to actually get to know Sarah Rogers once Project Phoenix was over and Peter had recovered from his operation. But Tony supposed that since she had agreed to take over Peter's rather intensive medical care before even meeting either of them, he could grant her the courtesy of one dinner.</p><p>"Okay, sounds good," he said. "And yeah, Phillips has already dismissed me for the day, so I'm ready."</p><p>"All right," Steve said. He opened the office door, offering Tony his arm. "Shall we?"</p><p>Tony smiled. That was one of he and Steve's 'things', as pointed out by Peter a few nights ago. Whenever they were getting ready to go anywhere, Steve always offered Tony his arm and said, "Shall we"?</p><p>And Tony always responded with, "We shall."</p><p>After a quick stop off in their room so Tony could change and brush his teeth, they were off. Steve's childhood home was only about fifteen minutes from the base, set in one of the neighbourhoods on the opposite end of town from where Tony had grown up. Steve had explained that his mother and father had moved into their house only a few weeks before Joseph Rogers was killed, wanting to be closer to the hospital since Sarah had had a few minor complications during her pregnancy. The closer proximity had turned out to be a good thing for Steve as well, with his severe breathing attacks getting both worse and more difficult to treat as he got older.</p><p>Moving closer to the hospital had been something that Tony had also considered after Peter was diagnosed with his heart defect. But with Howard unavailable—or unwilling—to help pay any of the bills, the cost of trying to find a different house and then move had been too high when combined with the cost of the numerous medications that Peter had to take every few hours.</p><p>"It's just not right, Steve," Tony said as he stopped at a red light, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. "No kid should ever have to go through what you and Pete had to go through."</p><p>"And you, Tony," Steve said. He placed his hand on Tony's leg, gently squeezing. "Sometimes I think you forget that you were once a kid like Peter." He held up his hand, halting Tony's retort before he could even retort it. "But I agree with you. And once the mission's over, they won't. We'll make sure of it."</p><p>"Damn right we will," agreed Tony. He drew in a deep breath as the light turned green, deliberately loosening his death grip on the wheel. He wanted to make a good impression on Steve's ma, and getting all upset about stuff that he couldn't change was only amplifying his nervousness. "Tell me the first thing that you're gonna do with Pete once he's better, yeah? I'm sure you've thought about it."</p><p>Steve smiled, showing off the dimple that never failed to make Tony's heart skip a beat or three.</p><p>"Oh, I've thought a lot about it," he said, almost shyly. "Let's just say that I have some definite plans."</p><p>"Oh, really?" Tony said, his own grin matching Steve's. "Care to share any of those master plans there, master planner?"</p><p>A light pink flush crept up Steve's neck to his cheeks. "Well… I just thought about all the things that I never got to do with my own papa, and…" His flush grew even deeper, his sheepish, <em>aw shucks</em> look so goddamn cute that Tony had to fight the strong urge to pull the car over. "I think first I'd like to take him fishing."</p><p>"Ah, yes. Like that drawing you showed me?" said Tony.</p><p>"Yep, that's the one," Steve said with a nod. "It's always something that I wished my papa and I could've done. After that, I've already promised Peter that he can teach me how to climb a tree. There're so many beautiful oak trees in the woods behind that lake cabin that would be perfect for climbing, so…"</p><p>"Oh, Pete's a master tree climber," said Tony. "You might wanna be careful though. It's been so long since he's been able to play outside that we might have our hands full trying to get him back in the house at the end of the day. You have not seen Pete's puppy-dog eyes to the fullest extent of their <em>pppllleeeaaassseee </em>potential until you try to tell him that it's time to come back into the house."</p><p>Steve tipped his head back against the headrest, lolling it sideways to look at Tony. "Well, we could always just build him a treehouse. I'm sure he wouldn't mind that."</p><p>"Only when it'd be time to eat," Tony said with a laugh. "And you just better watch it, <em>Captain</em>, 'cause once Pete gets all of his strength back, I swear that boy will be able to out-eat even you. I've never been able to figure out where he puts it all."</p><p>"I am definitely looking forward to it," said Steve. "I might even cook for us, if that's okay?"</p><p>"Really?" Tony asked. "You know how to cook?" Because of course Mr Perfection himself would also know his way around a kitchen.</p><p>Steve gave a not-quite-modest shrug. "I'm actually not too bad at it. I did most of the cooking when I was growing up since Ma was always working so much."</p><p>"Wow," Tony said, his eyes wide. "So then, is there anything that you actually <em>can't </em>do? 'Cause I gotta admit I haven't seen all that much evidence to the contrary, and—"</p><p>"Tony," Steve said softly. "I'm not perfect."</p><p>Tony winced. He'd noticed lately that Steve had been finding Tony's frequent jokes about his perfection less and less amusing, and so had been trying to cut back on them. But it'd been a lot harder than he'd thought since to him, Steve really <em>was </em>perfect.</p><p>"No, hon, I know that," Tony murmured. "No one is. But as far as perfection goes, I'd say you're a lot closer to it than the rest of us."</p><p>Steve pursed his lips. "I think a lot of it depends on who you ask," he said. "And I also think that you just might be a little bit biased."</p><p>Tony snorted, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders start to seep away. "Oh, you think so?"</p><p>"Yes, I do," Steve said with a wink, his hand sliding up Tony's thigh just enough to send a sharp burst of warmth across Tony's chest. "Call it an instinct."</p><p>"Well," Tony said, his voice cracking on the word. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Well, I have a feeling you might be right about that, <em>Captain.</em> But seeing as how I don't think your ma would appreciate me sporting a raging hard-on when you're trying to introduce us, we probably should put a stop to this kind of talk. Like, right now."</p><p>With a downright evil grin, Steve leaned over, his lips brushing the shell of Tony's ear as he whispered, "Just a temporary stop though, right, sweetheart?"</p><p>"Holy shit," Tony whispered, shivering as desire shot down his spine like a spear. "You do realise that I'm trying to drive here?"</p><p>"Sorry," murmured Steve, sounding anything but sorry. "I'll leave you alone now."</p><p>"Thank you," Tony said with an exaggerated sigh. "But… only until we get back, right?"</p><p>Steve's bright blue eyes darkened, his grin turning positively shit-eating.</p><p>"Oh, yeah."</p><p>"Gods, you're incorrigible," Tony rasped. "Like, <em>seriously.</em> I'm pretty sure I've created a monster."</p><p>"Or maybe you just unleashed one," said Steve. He waggled his eyebrows, then somehow managed to school his features into a look of pure, boyish innocence in about three seconds flat. "Turn right at the next light, then it's the third house on the left side."</p><p>Tony's gasp lodged in his throat as he made the turn, breathing in deeply through his nose as he tried to calm himself. For how inexperienced Steve might've been when they first got together, in the months since he had already more than made up for it, quite literally blowing Tony's mind with his passion and attentiveness. Tony had always thought of himself as a generous lover, but Steve was on a whole other level. He not only told Tony that he loved him every single chance that he got, he also <em>showed </em>him with every single caress of his hands and touch of his lips.</p><p>And Tony soaked up every single second of it, like an overly thirsty sponge.</p><p>"Here we are," Steve said as Tony pulled into the cracked concrete driveway of a small, bluish-grey house that looked remarkably like his own, even down to the overgrown yard and scraggly bushes lining either side of the front steps.</p><p>"I usually pay someone to come over and work on the landscaping, but the last kid I hired got accepted into the university and I haven't been able to find anyone else yet," Steve explained. He opened Tony's car door, holding out his hand towards him. "Ma tries to do it on her own sometimes too, but she's getting to the point now where she just can't."</p><p>"Well, once Pete gets better I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping her out," said Tony. "Long as she doesn't mind."</p><p>"I can't see why she would," said Steve. He gave Tony a quick but encouraging smile as he reached for the doorbell. "Ready?"</p><p>"Yep," Tony said. "Go for it."</p><p>Despite his attempt at bravery, Tony couldn't help but flinch as he heard the doorbell echo inside the house, followed only a few seconds later by the sound of slowly approaching footsteps.</p><p>"Ma!" Steve exclaimed as soon as the door swung open. After guiding Tony inside he immediately held out his arms, drawing the petite, slender woman with greyish-white hair into a careful hug. "You're looking so beautiful today!"</p><p>"Ah, and you're just as much of a flatterer as your papa," she said as Steve released her. She stepped back, her steel-blue eyes looking Tony up and down before offering her hand, her knuckles swollen and slightly bent with arthritis.</p><p>"Hello," she said, clear and strong, her expression almost unreadable. "I'm Sarah Rogers."</p><p>Tony cleared his throat, momentarily panicking. Was he supposed to shake her hand? Was he supposed to kiss it? Maybe he should've asked these kinds of questions <em>before </em>Steve rang the damn doorbell—</p><p>"Ma," Steve said, cutting through the fog inside Tony's mind. He curled his arm around Tony's waist, giving him an almost imperceptible nod. "This is Tony."</p><p>"Tony Stark," Tony blurted, just on the off chance that Steve had somehow failed to mention his surname. He carefully grasped Sarah Rogers's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Rogers."</p><p>Sarah pursed her lips as she shook Tony's hand, her grip plenty firm despite her pained knuckles.</p><p>"Yes, I know who you are, Mr Stark," she said. "I've known who you are for most of your life."</p><p>"Uhh," Tony stammered, his blood turning cold even as Steve's arm tightened around him. "Yeah, well—"</p><p>"And what I also know," she continued. "Is that the sins of a father should never be passed along to his son." She glanced up at Steve, her eyes softening slightly. "And I also know that I've never seen my son so happy in his entire life, which he assures me is mainly the doing of both yourself and a certain young man with whom I'll be shortly making my acquaintance."</p><p>"That's absolutely right, Ma," Steve said.</p><p>"Yes, I can see that," said Sarah. She released Tony's hand and stepped back, gesturing towards her sparsely decorated living room. "Please, come in, Mr Stark."</p><p>"Tony," Tony said. "Please, ma'am, if you don't mind, call me Tony." He had never been comfortable with being addressed as Mr Stark. All it did was remind him of Howard.</p><p>Sarah smiled, a bright smile that was so like Steve's that Tony nearly did a double-take. "Tony," she said. "It's nice to meet you."</p><hr/><p>For all of Tony's nervousness, the dinner went remarkably smoothly. Sarah had prepared one of Steve's favourite meals, some kind of sausage and noodle dish along with some homemade bread that wasn't like anything that Tony had ever eaten before, but tasted absolutely amazing. Whoever it was that ran the mess hall at the barracks had absolutely nothing on Sarah Rogers.</p><p>Their ease of conversation was also helpful in soothing most of Tony's lingering fears regarding Peter's upcoming transfer. Peter hadn't exactly been thrilled with the prospect of being moved from the hospital, which Tony could understand. But the fact that Tony had essentially had to tell Peter that he didn't have a say in the matter despite his begging and pleading still haunted him. All through Peter's life Tony had tried to use the so-called "Dad card" as sparingly as possible, and it had made him very uneasy that he and Steve were basically forcing Peter to go and live in a house with an old woman who he didn't know and who knowingly hated his grandfather.</p><p>As it turned out, though, based on what Tony could glean during dinner, Sarah didn't so much hate Howard personally, he just made a very convenient scapegoat for her to blame for the abrupt death of her husband.</p><p>"She doesn't really hate your father, sweetheart," Steve said once they were parked outside the hospital. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Tony they were only going to stay for dinner, explaining to Sarah that Peter had been going to sleep a bit earlier than usual lately. "It's just not illegal for anyone in Langara to hate Howard Stark."</p><p>Tony's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean by that?"</p><p>Steve reached for Tony's hand, holding it as though it were a delicate piece of porcelain. "I don't quite have all of the facts yet, mainly because it's too dangerous to be asking the kinds of questions I would need to ask. But based on what I've been able to find out so far, there's a pretty specific reason why my ma wasn't given any compensation or government benefits after my father's death. From the very moment that Colonel Phillips knocked on her door and told her that Papa was dead, she was cut off from all of his pay and other military benefits. And then, when I was only a couple weeks old she was served an eviction notice, stating that if she didn't find a job within the next two weeks that both of us would be kicked out of the house."</p><p>"Holy <em>shit!</em>" Tony exclaimed. "That's… well… that's just—!"</p><p>"Barbaric?" Steve said bitterly. "Yeah, I agree." He dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head. "The government hadn't even figured out the power outages yet, but they still didn't think twice about trying to kick us out. If it hadn't been for Bucky and his family, I'm not sure what Ma would've done."</p><p>Tony shuddered, squeezing Steve's hand as he tried to not think about a tiny and sickly baby Steve trying to survive on the tough streets of Langara.</p><p>"There's no way you would've made it, honey," he forced past the lump in his throat. "No possible way."</p><p>"No, probably not," agreed Steve. "But the biggest question now is, why? Widows of other pilots who were killed in action during the very same battle were given support, and so have most of the widows since then. So why wasn't Ma? What made her case different?"</p><p>"Are you thinking that someone had it in for your papa?" asked Tony. "Some kind of sick revenge thing or something?"</p><p>"That's what I've been trying to figure out," said Steve. "I think Colonel Phillips knows something about it, but… it's not appropriate of me to ask him point-blank, so…"</p><p>Tony scowled. "And why not? If you think he knows something then I would think you'd have every right to ask him—"</p><p>"He's my commanding officer, Tony," Steve cut in. "I can't ask him a direct question like that. It's insubordination."</p><p>"Ugh," Tony muttered, fighting against the almost overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. <em>Stupid military and their rules.</em> "Even though he'd probably tell you the truth if you did?"</p><p>"No, I don't think he would," said Steve. "Or at least, not yet. One, it's not safe to ask something like that right now because we can never be sure of who's listening, and two, it's not appropriate of me to put Colonel Phillips in a position where he'd likely have to disobey direct orders given to him by his own superior officers. He's done so much for us, Tony, I'm not going to do anything that might compromise his position."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I guess that makes sense." Tony huffed out a sharp breath, rubbing at the tight knots in the back of his neck. "Yet another thing to add to the list once the mission's over, yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah. If nothing else, I think it would give Ma some peace of mind to know the truth. She deserves it."</p><p>"And so do you," said Tony. "Don't be forgetting about yourself there."</p><p>Steve smiled, leaning over to peck Tony's lips. "Isn't that what I have you for?"</p><p>"Well, I suppose if you've gotta have a reason then that one's decent enough." Tony brought Steve's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. "Ready to go see our kid?"</p><p>Steve's eyes immediately went wide, his fingers clamping down around Tony's.</p><p>"What the… Steve, are you okay—?"</p><p>"You just said, 'our' kid," Steve whispered. "As in both of ours. Like… he's my son too."</p><p>Tony started. He honestly hadn't given even a speck of thought to his choice of words when he'd said that. He'd only said what felt natural.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess I did," he said softly. "'Cause it's the truth."</p><p>Steve's look of pure joy mixed with confusion was so cute that Tony almost laughed.</p><p>"It is?"</p><p>"Honey, are you seriously trying to tell me that that kid's been calling you Papa for the last couple weeks or so, and you've been confused as to why?" asked Tony. "Steve, come on! It can't be that big of a shock to you."</p><p>"I never wanted to presume," murmured Steve. "I know how much you love him, Tony, and I never wanted you to think that I was trying to intrude on anything—"</p><p>"It's not intruding if we invite you in," Tony stated. "And as far as I'm concerned, you're just as much of a father to that kid as I am. And being a father by choice instead of by chance makes it even more special."</p><p>
  <em>Just like Mr Jarvis.</em>
</p><p>"I'm not quite sure about that," Steve said, his blue eyes glassy. "But I appreciate it anyway."</p><p>"Oh gods, Steve, there shouldn't be anything for you to have to appreciate," Tony said. "That child in there loves you like a father, and that's really all there is to it."</p><p>Steve's lower lip was shaking as he swiped at his eyes. "And I love him, Tony," he choked out. "I love him so much. And it's so hard sometimes to see him the way he is, when I know how he should be. There's no way he should've ever been allowed to get as sick as he is, there's just no <em>way</em>, and—"</p><p>"Shh, honey," Tony said as he wound his arms around Steve's neck, weaving his fingers into his thick blond hair. Steve hadn't said anything that Tony hadn't screamed into his own void on numerous occasions, but he knew that wasn't what Steve needed to hear at the moment.</p><p>"It's all gonna be over soon, right?" he said. "Soon as the mission's over we'll be able to get Pete fixed up, and then he'll be as good as new."</p><p>Steve nodded, moaning softly when Tony dug his fingertips into his scalp. Like Peter, Steve absolutely loved getting his head rubbed.</p><p>"I hope so," Steve murmured. "I just hope that we're not gonna get to that point and then have someone try and tell us that he's beyond hope or something."</p><p>Tony's heart leapt into his throat. That was yet another thought that he'd been too afraid to voice lately. "No, no, let's not go there, okay?" he said, almost as much for his own comfort as Steve's. "We're not gonna think like that, okay, Mr Optimism? Pete's gonna be just fine."</p><p>
  <em>Pete's gonna be fine. Pete's gonna be fine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh gods, please let him be okay!</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, I know he is," Steve said as he lifted his head. "He's a survivor. Like you are."</p><p>"Yeah, but surviving's not the same as living," said Tony. A soft smile spread across his lips as he remembered Mr Jarvis telling him something similar the day he turned seventeen. "Which is why as soon as Pete's better, the three of us are gonna move out to that cabin on the lake and start doing some living. Yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said. "And I can't wait."</p><p>"Me either. So, just so you can get used to saying it, who are we going in to see now?"</p><p>Steve's lips twitched into one of his lopsided, goofy grins that Tony adored.</p><p>"Our son," he said, with only a hint of sheepishness.</p><p>"That's much better," Tony said proudly. "So, <em>Papa, </em>are you ready to go see <em>our </em>son now?"</p><p>"Yes," Steve said with a firm nod. "Yes, I am."</p><hr/><p>Steve stood against the far wall of Peter's room, trying to stay out of the way as Sharon and Tony worked to pack up the last of his monitors and IV pumps. For Tony's sake they had made a quick stop at Ma's house on their way to the hospital, making sure that she was ready and had all the equipment she needed. While Tony was still very nervous—as was Steve, although he was trying like hell to hide it—he did have to admit that so far everything seemed to be going okay. Thanks to a good friend of hers who worked in the hospital pharmacy, Sharon had been able to amass a stockpile of Peter's IV medications that at his current dosages would be able to last the next three weeks. Anything that Peter might need after that Sharon would have to obtain from the hospital, but given that the Phoenix mission was only three days away, Steve was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.</p><p>
  <em>T-minus three days, and counting.</em>
</p><p>Since the dinner with his ma, Steve and Tony had been working almost nonstop trying to put the finishing touches on their plans. Along with spending almost twenty-four total hours building the containment vessel for the tesseract, which was now under guard, Tony—with Peter's help—had also designed and built a set of what he called scramblers, small machines that when strategically placed, would neutralise any possible government listening devices that happened to be hidden around Ma's house. Knowing that Peter and Bucky and Sam would be able to speak freely while at Ma's was a big load off of both Steve's mind and Tony's. The last thing that Peter needed was more to worry about while Steve was out in space.</p><p>"I think we're pretty much set here, Captain," Sharon said as she handed the last of Peter's monitors to Sam. Bucky was already sitting out in Sam's car with another load of equipment, having been discharged from the hospital two days prior. He and Sam had just finished moving into the house that Sam had found after the attack, which was thankfully only a five-or-so minute drive from Ma's house, but Sam had repeatedly assured Steve that once the mission got underway they would both be at Ma's as much as possible.</p><p>"All right," Steve said. He briefly locked eyes with Tony, who was standing at the foot of Peter's bed. Tony had made all of the arrangements for Peter to be discharged earlier that afternoon, during which Steve had had to physically restrain himself from punching out the lady doctor who'd had the gall to suggest that Tony should've pulled Peter from the hospital weeks ago.</p><p>"I'm so glad you've finally realised that there's nothing more we can do for him," she had said. "It'll be much better for the boy to die at home with his loved ones than be here by himself."</p><p>To his credit, while Steve had noticed the downright murderous look in Tony's beautiful brown eyes and the tight clench of his hands, Tony had only given the doctor a curt nod in response.</p><p>"Yes. I'm sure it will be better," Steve had added. <em>But better for whom is the real question.</em></p><p>"All right, bud," Tony said as he patted Peter's foot. "Are ya ready?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter answered. He turned to look at Steve, his bottom lip poking out. "I'm ready, Papa."</p><p>"All right, little guy. C'mere." As carefully as he was able, he gathered Peter into his arms and lifted him from the bed, tucking him as close as he dared. His heart fluttered as Peter wrapped his skinny, stick-like arms around Steve's neck and leaned his head against his chest.</p><p>"Good?" Steve asked Peter as Tony picked up his portable oxygen tank.</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said with a nod, his eyes already halfway closed. "I'm good."</p><p>Since it was already after curfew, the hallways and parking lot were dark and quiet as Steve gently loaded Peter into the backseat of Tony's car, tucking a blanket over him before crawling in next to him.</p><p>"We're ready," he said as Tony and Sharon climbed into the front. He curled his arm around Peter's shoulders, a knot rising in his throat at how bony they were.</p><p>It was as though the boy was literally wasting away. Most of the time in the hospital Peter had been shielded by his mass of blankets, but now, out in the open, it was painfully obvious to Steve just how thin he'd become.</p><p>"It's not too far, little guy, okay?" Steve murmured, kissing the top of Peter's head. "We'll get you set up in no time and then you can go to sleep."</p><p>Peter gave a nod, running his tongue across his chapped lips.</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>They arrived at Ma's behind Bucky and Sam, who were already almost done unloading Sam's car. Steve planted another kiss on Peter's head as he slid them both out of the backseat, carrying him up the front steps to where Ma was waiting.</p><p>"Well, hello there, young man," Ma said in her best nurse's voice. She reached her hand to cup Peter's pale, round cheek. "You're sure a sweetheart, aren't you?"</p><p>"Hi," Peter said, only slightly wobbly. "I'm Peter."</p><p>"That you are," said Ma. She nodded in the direction of Steve's childhood bedroom. "Bucky and Sam got him all set up in there."</p><p>"Sounds good." Steve remembered all too well the hundreds of days and nights that he'd spent in that room, hooked up to his never-ending breathing treatments.</p><p>"This was my room when I was a kid, little guy," he said as he set Peter down on his old bed, tucking him under the covers. "So I hope you'll be comfy here."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said sleepily. "I'll look at it more in the morning, 'kay?"</p><p>"That's just fine, Peter," said Steve. Then he moved back to the doorway to allow Tony and Sharon to hook up the various monitors and check Peter's vital signs.</p><p>"His heart rate's a bit elevated, which isn't too surprising since we just moved him," Sharon said, removing her stethoscope. "It's something we should keep an eye on though."</p><p>"I'll check on him every couple of hours," Ma said. "Won't even wake him up."</p><p>"Thanks," said Tony. He sat down next to Peter on the bed, brushing the hair off his forehead. "You're gonna be okay, buddy, yeah? Papa's Ma's gonna take really good care of you."</p><p>Peter gave him a short nod. "Uh huh. Thank you."</p><p>Anguish suddenly bubbled up from Steve's gut, stoked by an accompanying rush of anxiety, and he ducked out of the room, leaning against the wall in the hallway so Peter couldn't see him. The last thing he wanted was for Peter to see that his papa was as scared as he was.</p><p>"Captains Wilson and Barnes offered to drive me home, Captain," said Sharon. "I'll stop by in the morning to check on Peter before my shift at the hospital, okay?"</p><p>"Thank you, Sharon," Steve said softly, gently squeezing Sharon's shoulder. "For everything."</p><p>Sharon smiled. "You're welcome."</p><p>Steve watched her disappear around the corner, tipping his head back once she was gone. <em>He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay.</em></p><p>
  <em>Please, let him be okay!</em>
</p><p>"It's not weakness, you know," Ma suddenly said a few moments later, startling him. She must've been seeing the others out.</p><p>Steve shook his head, swiping a wayward tear from his eye. "What's not?"</p><p>"Loving someone," answered Ma. "Or, two someones, in your case."</p><p>"I know that," said Steve. Inside the room he could hear Tony still talking to Peter, telling him some story or something that only the two of them would understand. "I'm gonna ask Tony to marry me, Ma. As soon as I get back from the mission. I've already bought him a ring and everything."</p><p>The corners of Ma's lips twitched. "I figured that was the case when you brought him over," she said. "Your father proposed to me only a couple of days after he introduced me to his ma and papa."</p><p>"I know, you've told me that before," Steve said. "You told me that his parents adored you, and that—"</p><p>"Mine couldn't stand him," Ma finished. She curled her bent fingers around Steve's arm. "And they were wrong. Just like I was."</p><p>"Really?" Steve blurted, his heart thudding. He had guessed that she'd liked Tony well enough during their dinner, but with everything going on he had been too afraid to ask her point-blank what she had thought of him.</p><p>"Yes," she said. "When I said that I've never seen you so happy, Steven, I meant it. And Tony is nothing but charming, that's for sure. And he absolutely adores you."</p><p>"They're both charming," said Steve. "There was no way I could've resisted either of them. I was a goner pretty much from day one."</p><p>"Which is really all that matters, when it comes down to it," said Ma. "My parents never gave me their blessing to marry Joseph, but that didn't mean we weren't happy."</p><p>"Yeah." Steve had heard that story before as well, although not exactly the reason why. "I'd still appreciate yours though," he said softly. "And I know Tony would too."</p><p>Ma smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Then you've got it."</p><p>"Oh, thank you," Steve whispered as he pulled her into a tight hug. "Tony will be so happy to hear that."</p><p>"Hey, hon," Tony suddenly said from the doorway. "Pete's just about asleep in here, so…"</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Steve said. He hurried over to Peter's side, planting a gentle kiss on his clammy forehead. "I love you, little guy. You sleep good, okay?"</p><p>"Uh huh, Papa," whispered Peter. "Love you too."</p><p>"Try not to worry too much," Ma said as she walked Steve and Tony to the door. "The boy will be just fine."</p><p>Tony's face was ashen as he nodded, his hand clutching Steve's in a vice-like grip.</p><p>"Thank you," he said. "Mrs Rogers, I can't—I can't tell you how much—"</p><p>"And you'll never have to," Ma said firmly. She gave each of them a quick but strong hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."</p><p>They were silent on the drive back to the barracks, with Tony only releasing Steve's hand long enough to get into the car and back out of it. The weight of their combined worry was so crushing that it threatened to break them, their only hope of survival resting on the fact that they knew they were in this together.</p><p>Steve had barely crossed over the threshold of their room when Tony's hands were on him, pulling and tearing at his clothes with the same pent-up desperation that Steve had felt ever since he'd carried Peter out of the hospital.</p><p>"Please, baby," Tony rasped as his lips began attacking Steve's neck, kissing and nibbling across his throat. "Please, I need—"</p><p>"I know, sweetheart," Steve said as he tugged off his shirt, heat searing across his body with every touch of Tony's calloused fingertips. "I <em>know."</em></p><p>Because he did. Steve knew exactly what Tony needed in that moment, because he needed the exact same thing.</p><p>He just needed to <em>feel.</em></p><p>
  <em>T-minus three days, and counting.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Peter woke with a start, swallowing frantically against the horrible tickle in the back of his throat as he reached for the glass of water on the bedside table.</p><p>"No, no, let me help you," a woman's kind voice suddenly said, startling Peter so much that he gasped, which immediately triggered the very coughing fit he'd been trying to avoid. He squeezed his eyes closed as he gave into it, curling into a tight ball as two chilled hands took hold of his arms, guiding him to a more upright position.</p><p>"There, there," said the woman as his coughs finally subsided. She nudged Peter's bottom lip with the water glass. "Ready for a drink now?"</p><p>Peter nodded, taking a small drink before licking his lips. "Thank you."</p><p>"No need to thank me," she said. She nudged him with the glass again, holding it steady while he swallowed. "Here, now take another. That's right."</p><p>When the glass was finally empty Peter laid back, breathing in as he tried to get his bearings. He had awoken so suddenly that for a moment he'd forgotten where he was, and who he was with.</p><p>"Thank you, Mrs Rogers," he said. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."</p><p>"No, no, you didn't wake me," she said, brushing the damp hair from his eyes. "I was just on my way to check your vitals when I heard you coughing."</p><p>"Oh," Peter said. "Well, that's good." Papa had told him that his ma suffered from arthritis, and Peter didn't want to cause her any more pain than was necessary.</p><p>"I think I'm okay now, Mrs Rogers, if you wanna go back to sleep."</p><p>"No, I think I'll just stay here for awhile, if that's okay," she said. She patted Peter's shoulder, and Peter practically melted at her kind, gentle touch, one that reminded him a lot of Ms Sharon. Maybe staying there wouldn't be so bad after all. He was in Papa's old room, after all.</p><p>"And you don't need to call me Mrs Rogers either," she added. "It's way too formal for my taste."</p><p>"Uhh, okay," Peter said. "Then what should I call you?"</p><p>Mrs Rogers smiled. "How 'bout, Grandma?"</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Drop me a line on tumblr.  I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you all are staying safe and healthy!  💖 </p><p>I’m always eager to hear what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  😊</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Here we are, young man," Grandma said as she set the fully-loaded breakfast tray down onto the bedside table. She sat down next to him, warming the bell of her stethoscope in her palm. "Let's see what you sound like first, shall we?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said. He laid back against the pillows, taking the exaggerated breaths that Ms Sharon had always asked for when she listened to him.</p><p>"All right, now for your back," said Grandma, gently pushing him forward. She slid her stethoscope bell under his shirt, moving it four separate times as she listened to his lung sounds.</p><p>"Not too bad this morning," she said once she was finished. "You're a bit damp, but nothing I wouldn't expect given your history."</p><p>Peter smiled as he shifted on the bed, his stomach already growling from the delicious smell of his breakfast. It had been so long since he'd eaten a meal that was actually hot that he'd almost forgotten what food was supposed to taste like. Ms Sharon had tried to deliver his meals in the hospital as soon as they came up from the kitchen, but after sitting on the kitchen carts for who knew how long and the fact that Ms Sharon was always assigned to too many patients than really was feasible, his food was always lukewarm on a good day, with it most of the time just being downright cold.</p><p>As soon as he was settled Grandma set down the tray, stepping back with a satisfied smile as Peter quickly dug in. She had made him biscuits and gravy, along with what seemed to be actual, real-life freshly-squeezed orange juice, something that Peter hadn't had in years. It all tasted so incredibly yummy that for the briefest of moments, Peter actually forgot that he was sick.</p><p>"That was so yummy. Thank you," Peter said once he was done, smacking his lips as he downed the last of his orange juice. The whole time he'd been eating, Grandma had sat in her chair across the room, a pair of glasses perched on her nose and reading a dog-eared novel. "But you didn't need to sit in here with me. I know you probably have a lot of other things that you'd rather be doing."</p><p>"Oh, you think so?" Grandma said, looking at him over the top of her glasses. "And what if I wanted to sit in here while you ate, hmm? What would you say to that?"</p><p>"You do?" Peter asked, wincing as soon as the words left his mouth. He was in her house, after all, and if she wanted to sit and watch him eat while pretending to read, then she had every right to do so.</p><p>It was just a bit weird for Peter to be surrounded by people again, after being forced to spend so much of his time alone. Even before his hospital stay he'd gotten used to being mostly alone. Grandpa had been there at the house, but during the day he was always either out wandering around or stocking up on his whisky, and didn't really pay much attention to Peter unless it was to tell him yet another story of how he used to work for the government, or chastise him for spending too much of his time drawing. And of course Dad had been there too, but with how overworked he always was Peter had been lucky to see him twice a day, in the early morning before he left for work, and at night just before curfew began.</p><p>And now, Peter not only was able to see Dad and Papa every single night for pretty much as long as he wanted, he also had Uncle Bucky and Uncle Sam spending most of the days with him along with his papa's ma, who just the night before had asked him to call her Grandma.</p><p>It was all just a bit overwhelming.</p><p>"I mean, it's totally fine if you do," he quickly added. "I just… it's probably not all that fun. Is it?"</p><p>Grandma smiled as she set the tray aside. "And I highly doubt that it's a lot of fun for you to be sitting here, hooked up to all that stuff, hmm?"</p><p>"No," Peter said, rather bitterly. "It's not."</p><p>"Of course it's not," she agreed. "So that's why I'm here. No child wants to be cooped up all by himself, and especially not one who would much rather be outside, right? I believe Steven told me that you're a master tree climber. Am I right?"</p><p>Peter rubbed at his nose, fighting against the urge to cry. He was almost twelve, for goodness sake. Far too old to be crying so much.</p><p>"Uh huh," he said. "Or at least I used to be. It's… been awhile."</p><p>"I know it has," said Grandma. "And it's okay to be sad about it too. It used to make your papa pretty sad to have to watch all of his friends play stickball and hopscotch when he was too sick to participate."</p><p>"Oh, yeah. Papa’s told me a bit about that," Peter murmured. Papa had told Peter the story about his super-serum procedure a couple of times, but it was still hard for him to imagine his papa as anything other than the tall, strong man that he was.</p><p>"I guess you're kinda used to it then, huh?"</p><p>"You might say that," said Grandma. "There were many a night where I didn't leave this chair. I just sat here, watching Steven's chest as he breathed. In and out, in and out. Most of the time he sounded like he was sucking air through about a hundred layers of cheesecloth, but he still managed to survive."</p><p>"Probably 'cause he knew you were with him," Peter said. He ducked his head, suddenly self-conscious. "It's always better when someone's there with you when you're sick. My dad… he tried, but… by the time I got real bad… He'd try so hard to make it home in time to sit with me for a bit before I went to sleep, or even eat dinner with me, but—but most of the time they just wouldn't let him. They just worked him so hard… and no one cared about what they were doing to him. It wasn't until he got put directly under Colonel Phillips's command that he was able to start getting home before curfew started, but even then it wasn't every day."</p><p>"Well, that's because Chester is a good man who's unfortunately stuck in a bad situation," Grandma stated. "The same of which could probably be said about your father."</p><p>"Mmm, not so probably," said Peter. "More like definitely. And mostly just 'cause his last name happens to be Stark."</p><p>A pained look crossed Grandma's lightly lined face, just for a moment before disappearing.</p><p>"Well," she said quietly. "Unfortunately, names are something we inherit rather than create on our own, right?"</p><p>Peter breathed in, pondering. He'd never quite thought about it like that.</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense. But it still sucks."</p><p>"Oh, I know it," said Grandma, rather vehemently. "Not as well as you or your father, but I do understand."</p><p>"You do?" asked Peter. Papa had never mentioned anything about his name being blacklisted or anything. "How?"</p><p>Grandma sighed, wringing her hands, her knuckles so swollen and bent that Peter was surprised she could even move them.</p><p>"Are you good at keeping secrets?" she asked.</p><p>Peter's heart fluttered. <em>If you only knew.</em></p><p>"Uh, yeah. I'm really good at it, actually."</p><p>Grandma tilted her head, eyeing Peter as though she was trying to size him up. "You know," she finally said. "You look a lot like your father. Has anyone ever told you that?"</p><p>Peter's eyebrows knitted together. That wasn't exactly a secret.</p><p>"Oh yeah. Loads of people. We've got the same eyes, the same hair, the same nose and mouth." He held out his hands, inspecting his fingers. "We've even got the same hands. And Papa says that we make a lot of the same faces too."</p><p>Grandma laughed, a soft, tinkling laugh that reminded him of a lighter, gentler version of Papa's.</p><p>"Oh, yes. I noticed that last night, even," she said. "That little crinkle that you get above your nose is the exact same as your father's. But what I've also noticed, just in these last few minutes, is that you're a lot like my son as well. And I don't only mean because he was also a sickly child. I mean you're both kind, compassionate, and loyal."</p><p>A wide grin slowly spread across Peter's face. Grandma was now the second person to tell him that he was similar to Papa, and he absolutely loved it.</p><p>"My dad's a compassionate and loyal person too," he said. "And he loves my papa so much. I've never seen him so happy."</p><p>"From what I've seen, I can agree with you," said Grandma. "And to be honest, that's not all that easy for me to say. I'm not proud of it, but I've spent the last twenty-eight or so years blaming Howard Stark for what happened to my husband."</p><p>Peter swallowed, unsure exactly how to respond.</p><p>"Yeah. I know lots of people who blame him for what happened. But it's not really fair, is it? It's not like he's the one who blew up the power plant and caused all this mess. He wasn't even at the base when it happened. He was at the hospital with my dad."</p><p>"Yes, I know that," said Grandma. "Like I said, I'm not proud of how I was. All I can say is at the time, I didn't know any other way to survive. I'd just lost my husband, with not even a body to bury, and then Steven was born only a couple weeks later. And then, only a couple of weeks after that, the government threatened to kick us out of the house if I didn't start paying rent. As an Air Corps pilot Joseph's living expenses were covered, but that all stopped as soon as he was killed."</p><p>"And that's not right," Peter said. "Especially not since the entire country was thrown into crisis. But none of that was my grandpa's fault either. Or my dad's, or mine. But we were all still blamed for it." He didn't add that in addition to Papa's papa, there were also hundreds of other people who were killed on that day. No sense in peeling the scab off a barely-healed wound.</p><p>"My dad didn't get to choose his father, and neither did I," he added. "But my dad's a good man, and he works harder than anyone I've ever seen. I wouldn't trade him for anyone."</p><p>"I know that, young Peter," Grandma said gently. "And you shouldn't. Because if your father is even half the man that Steven tells me he is, then I am very proud to know him. And you as well. You're both quite remarkable."</p><p>"Thank you," Peter murmured. "That's really nice of you to say." He paused for a moment, still chewing on his lip. "Um… what did you mean when you asked if I was good at keeping secrets?"</p><p>Grandma sighed, her eyes flicking up to the wall next to Peter, and the huge Air Corps poster that hung there. It was a picture of the first of the X-series of aircraft, the X-101. The very same aircraft that Papa's papa had flown.</p><p>"My father was an Air Corps pilot too," she began. "He loved to fly, loved the notion that by being up there in the air that he was helping to protect our country, and us by extension."</p><p>"I'm sure there's a lot of people who think that way," said Peter. "Pretty sure that Papa does."</p><p>"Yes, I know he does. Steven was always very gung-ho about the Air Corps, always telling me that he wanted to grow up to be a pilot like his papa." She slumped back in the chair, her blue eyes sad. "The fact that Bucky always said the same thing made him even more determined, and I never had the heart to tell him anything that might've dampened those ambitions. There were way too many times where those ambitions were the only things that kept him alive."</p><p>"Like what?" asked Peter. "What things didn't you tell him?"</p><p>Grandma shrugged her bony shoulders. "When you're a parent, there are sometimes things that you deliberately keep to yourself out of love for your child."</p><p>"Okay," Peter said. That kinda made sense. "But like what?"</p><p>"Like the fact that I was cut off from any widow's compensation after my husband's death," answered Grandma. "I just told Steven that I needed to work, and that was it. And he never questioned it. I'd been working his whole life, so he was used to it and just accepted it as normal."</p><p>"But I'm sure he eventually figured out that it was weird," said Peter. "Papa's too smart not to."</p><p>"Yes, eventually he did. Especially since Mrs Barnes never had to go to work even after her husband died," Grandma said, with only a touch of bitterness. "She still got a monthly allowance even though her husband wasn't killed in action. He died of a heart attack when the boys were teenagers."</p><p>"Yeah, and all that's even weirder when you realise that that very same government just dumped Uncle Bucky like a hot potato, just 'cause he got hurt," grumbled Peter.</p><p>"Weird is a good word for it," agreed Grandma. "But from what I've seen, 'inconsistent' would probably be a better choice. And it's those very inconsistencies that have hurt more people than I care to count." She let out a heavy sigh, fingering the thin golden band circling the third finger of her left hand.</p><p>"So, like I said, my father was also an Air Corps pilot, and, like many pilots, he was rather highly regarded in society. And because of that high regard, it was… shall I say, <em>expected</em>, that as my brother and I got older, we would choose the 'proper' person to marry. Well, my brother did. His wife was the daughter of one of my father's colleagues, and his wedding was considered to be one of the most highly sought-after invitations that year. My father ended up inviting over three hundred guests, and all of it was paid for by the Air Corps."</p><p>"It was?" Peter asked. "But why would the Air Corps pay for a private wedding?" <em>And how many little kids had to go hungry because of it?</em></p><p>"Oh, it wasn't just any wedding," said Grandma. "It was the wedding of the son of one of their top colonels. You see, despite the fact that the country was still technically a republic at the time, certain people inside the Air Corps were already starting to realise the power that they held, and already beginning to silence those who didn't agree with them. Whether the president knew about what was going on or not remains a mystery, but I'd be hard-pressed to be convinced that he didn't have at least some clue."</p><p>Peter's eyes narrowed as he thought. This was not anything like what he'd ever learned in school about Langara's recent history.</p><p>"But if that's the case, then the president just let it happen," he said. "Why didn't he try to stop it?"</p><p>"I'm guessing it was because he was either scared or paid off," said Grandma. "Or both."</p><p>"Geez," muttered Peter. "That's pretty horrible."</p><p>"Yes. It's hard to maintain a working civilian government when you're constantly giving in to the military. From what I was able to learn from my father, even the president's own top general tried to advise him against certain things, but he either wouldn't or couldn't listen."</p><p>Peter shook his head, leaning back against his pillows. He wasn't used to having such deep discussions so early in the morning.</p><p>"So, what you're saying… it kinda sounds like your father was in cahoots with the bad guys."</p><p>"Well, I'm not sure 'cahoots' is the right word, but he definitely enjoyed his cushy position, and all of its perks," Grandma said. "And tended to turn a blind eye to people who were, shall we say, less cushy."</p><p>"Ah. And I'm guessing that one of those perks was someone who you were supposed to marry?" Peter asked. "Someone who your father considered proper?"</p><p>Grandma blinked, her eyes narrowing just like Papa's did when he was puzzled. "And how'd you guess that, hmm?"</p><p>Peter shrugged. Just like Papa, Grandma's expressions tended to give her away.</p><p>"It wasn't really that hard. But I'm right, right?"</p><p>There was a long pause while Grandma studied the Air Corps poster, her lips pursed and her blue eyes troubled.</p><p>"Yes, you are," she said, so softly that Peter barely heard her. "But Steven, he doesn't know. I could never bring myself to tell him."</p><p>"Uhh, why not?" asked Peter. "Who was it?"</p><p>Grandma flinched, her lips curling into a sneer. "His name is Matthew O'Brien."</p><p>It took Peter a moment for her statement to sink in. Peter was not at all used to hearing the top Langaran government official addressed by his first name.</p><p>"Ohh," Peter said, wincing. The thought of his beloved Papa being even remotely connected to that horrible general was almost too much. "Um… if it's any consolation, I'm really glad that's not who you married."</p><p>"Oh, you have no idea," scoffed Grandma. "Oh, but my parents absolutely loved him. Matthew was a bit older than me, already a Lieutenant Colonel by the time he tried to court me, and so smooth and charming that he had my mother practically eating out of his hand after only one meeting." She scowled, waving a dismissive hand. "And he was indeed very charming, and an absolute master at telling people what he believed they wanted to hear. But there was something about him that just… unnerved me. Something… sinister."</p><p>"Well, from what Papa and Dad have told me about him, he kinda is sinister," said Peter. "Dad always says that he gives him the shivers."</p><p>"Yes, that's a good way to put it," Grandma agreed. "He was also ambitious, power-hungry, and far too willing to bulldoze over anyone who got in his way for my taste." A sort of dreamy look crossed her face. "And then there was Joseph."</p><p>Peter instinctively smiled. "Was he a lot like my papa?"</p><p>"Oh, yes," said Grandma. "Joseph was the most wonderful artist. While we were courting he used to draw me pictures all the time, and I always carried at least one of them with me wherever I went. And he was also such a gentleman. Always offering me his arm when we were walking, opening doors, things like that."</p><p>"Papa does those things for my dad all the time," said Peter. "Dad's told me."</p><p>"Yes, so I saw," Grandma said. "But unfortunately for Joseph, even though he was a pilot as well—and a damn good one, I might add—his family wasn't in the proper social circles, so he was sort of looked down upon by most of the Air Corps elite."</p><p>"Well, that's just stupid," Peter replied.</p><p>"Yes, it is," said Grandma. "One of the worst things I heard people say about him was that he talked funny. Joseph had this sort of lilt to his speech that I found incredibly romantic, but apparently others said it made him hard to understand." She frowned, shaking her head. "And when I was finally able to work up the courage to explain to my father that I wanted to marry Joseph instead of Matthew, well… let's just say that it didn't go very well."</p><p>"Yeah. I bet it didn't." Peter scratched at his nose, fighting against the strong urge to yawn. Apparently even holding a conversation was exhausting him now.</p><p>"My father tried his best to convince me to change my mind, even stooping so low as to deny me his blessing to marry Joseph, but by that point I didn't care." She gave Peter such a melancholy smile that tears sprang to his eyes. "I was young, and in love, and I thought Joseph and I could take on the world together."</p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry," Peter whispered. "I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you." Then he gasped, a thought suddenly dawning on him that made all the blood in his body run cold.</p><p>"Do you think that the general, that he somehow—?"</p><p>"Had my husband killed?" Grandma cut in. "Or was at least happy about it? Yes, I do. Although it took me a long time to admit it. I was… too angry, at first, and all I wanted was someone to blame."</p><p>"So you chose my grandpa," Peter said, not without a hint of anger. "But you know that he didn't do anything, right? Someone framed him. Someone else blamed him for what they did because they were a <em>coward!</em> And it not only ruined his life, it made my dad's a living hell!"</p><p>The stupid throat tickle that Peter absolutely despised suddenly roared to life, and he doubled over, clutching his abdomen as he tried to get through it without his heart rate spiking too high. He had a strong feeling that Grandma would report his every single move to his dads, and he didn't need them worrying about him any more than they already did.</p><p>"There, there," Grandma said, patting his back. She held out a glass of water. "Take a drink now, okay?"</p><p>Peter nodded, forcing himself to take small sips to keep from choking. "Thank you," he said once he was done. "I think… I think I'd like to take a nap now."</p><p>Grandma nodded, briefly cupping his cheek. "As you should. Bucky and Sam should be here in about an hour or so, once Bucky's done with his physical therapy. I've asked them to bring along some board games, would you like that?"</p><p>"Uh huh," said Peter. He'd always enjoyed any sort of game. "Thanks."</p><p>"You're welcome." She tucked Peter's blankets up to his chest. "I'm very sorry that I upset you, my dear."</p><p>"Mmm," said Peter. "You know, it's okay to be sad about your husband, but why didn't you ever tell Papa any of this? Don't you think he'd wanna know?"</p><p>Grandma's lower lip began to shake, something that Papa's also did when he was upset. "I couldn't—I couldn't take the chance," she whispered. She jerked her head in the direction of the poster. "All his life, Steven just wanted to serve his country, like his papa. He never even got to meet his papa, and yet Joseph was still Steven's hero. Every night when he was little he would tell me that he couldn't wait to get better so he could fly the aircraft like the ones in the poster. The same aircraft that Joseph flew. And there was no way I was going to tarnish any thoughts that he had of his papa. No possible way."</p><p>"But… don't you think he'd wanna know if his papa was deliberately killed?" Peter asked. "'Cause I think he would."</p><p>But Grandma only stubbornly shook her head. "Again, I couldn't take the chance, and especially not after he got the serum. That serum saved his life, but once he was in the clutches of the Air Corps, I couldn't take the risk that Matthew would do something to him if he suspected that Steven knew something he wasn't supposed to know."</p><p>"But—!"</p><p>"No, no more buts now, okay?" she said. "You need to rest."</p><p>Peter huffed, but nodded anyway. "Uh huh."</p><p>Grandma brushed the hair from his forehead, tenderly patting his cheek. "You are a lot like your papa, young Peter Stark. You have a strong heart, just like he always did. Even before he was tall and strong."</p><p>Peter's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Uhh, thanks, but my heart's not strong. It's kinda all busted up."</p><p>"No, that's not what I meant," Grandma whispered. "A strong heart means that you’ll never quit. That you'll stay with it until the end of the line." She smiled down at him. "Before the serum Steven was never physically strong, but he more than made up for it with his heart. And I can see that very same strength in you."</p><p>"Oh," murmured Peter. "Thank you. That's really nice of you to say."</p><p>"I never say things just to be nice, Peter," she stated. "Sleep now. I'll come and check on you in an hour, all right?"</p><p>Peter nodded, closing his eyes.</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><hr/><p>"Hey, babe," Tony said as Steve stepped inside his office, the cramped, stuffy room reminding him a lot of the cockpit of the first aircraft that he flew after joining the Air Corps, one that had not been designed by Tony.</p><p>"Hey, yourself," Steve replied, leaning down for a quick kiss. Or at least, what he intended to be a quick kiss that somehow turned into a thirty-second makeout session. He had noticed that both he and Tony had been more intense with their physical affection lately, and whether it was out of anxiousness about the mission or Peter—or both, which was arguably more likely—Steve couldn't help but enjoy it.</p><p>"Patrol go okay?" Tony asked once they'd broken apart.</p><p>Steve's heart gave a flutter as he stood back up. For all of Tony's constant compliments about Steve's physical appearance, he thought Tony was absolutely beautiful, and even more so right after being thoroughly kissed.</p><p>"Yeah, it was pretty quiet today," said Steve. "Actually, it was almost a bit too quiet. Like we were just up there for a joyride or something. I was only engaged by the enemy once, and both Major Lorne and Cam Mitchell told me that they never even got a glimpse of their mirrors."</p><p>Tony frowned. "That's a bit weird, isn't it? I mean, it's not like I'm gonna complain that you were only shot at once during a six-hour patrol, but that doesn't happen very often, does it?"</p><p>"No, it doesn't," Steve said with a light sigh. He sat down on the edge of Tony's desk, pretty much the only available space for him to sit in the room. "Does that worry you?"</p><p>"At the moment pretty much anything out of the ordinary worries me," answered Tony. "But since my anxiety level is already close to bumping up against the atmospheric barrier, then I s'pose this'll just slam it right up against it."</p><p>Steve's face fell, and he tugged on Tony's arm. "C'mere, sweetheart," he murmured as he pulled Tony up to his feet, curling his arms around his waist as Tony's wrapped around his neck. Then he buried his nose in Tony's neck, pressing light kisses to his deliciously soft skin that always carried the faint scent of coconut.</p><p>
  <em>T-minus two days, and counting.</em>
</p><p>And the hours were starting to pass faster and faster.</p><p>"Better?" he softly asked a couple minutes later.</p><p>"Yeah," Tony murmured, but Steve wasn't convinced. His body was still rigid with tension, his fingertips digging into Steve's shoulder blades like he was afraid to let go.</p><p>"No, you're not." Steve lifted his head, kissing Tony on the forehead. "But we will be again, sweetheart. I promise."</p><p>"Gods, I hope you're right," whispered Tony. He sucked in a deep breath, eyeing Steve warily. "This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn't been so goddamn charming, and sweet, and altogether <em>good,</em> and let's not even begin to talk about how fucking <em>hot </em>you are, 'cause then we'll end up just sitting here all night and Pete'll end up worrying about us, and—"</p><p>"Stop," Steve said, covering Tony's mouth with his fingers. "You make it sound like you're the only person who's getting anything out of this relationship."</p><p>Tony's head tipped forward, thudding against Steve's collarbone as his hands slid up Steve's back. "I probably do, but <em>damn, </em>honey, think about it. You were perfectly happy being your hotshot pilot self before Pete and I came along, and now only a few months later we've got you preparing to commit treason. And I am pretty damn sure that that was not listed anywhere on the plan you outlined for your life, so…"</p><p>"Well, you're wrong," Steve stated, smiling slightly at Tony's confused look. "Or, should I say, you're wrong about the most important part of that statement." He leaned forward, pressing a quick but firm kiss to Tony's lips. "I was never happy, Tony. Yeah, I guess I was a bit of the hotshot pilot that you mentioned, and I know that I enjoyed it, but I would not have called myself happy because I really wasn't. I was just kind of… existing. I had decided long ago to close myself off to any kind of relationship that could lead to marriage and family, because I was too afraid that if I got those things and then lost them again, it would destroy me."</p><p>"Steve—" Tony started.</p><p>"No, just wait, please," he cut in. He needed to get this out. "Tony, I need you to know that no matter what happens with this mission, that I love you and Peter with all of my heart and soul and everything else that I am. And I will never, ever be sorry about that. No matter what."</p><p>Tony's lips twitched, his eyebrows knitted together into a worried frown as he cupped Steve's cheeks in his hands.</p><p>"Okay, so, let <em>me </em>go on the record and say that if anything happens to you, that it will not only destroy me, but Pete as well, so you'd better make damn sure that it doesn't. You got that?"</p><p>A knot rose in Steve's throat at his beloved's tone, all no-nonsense and tough, but still with the slight wobble to it that only he and Peter could ever detect.</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"I am <em>serious, </em>Steve," Tony said. "You and Pete, you both have all these grandiose ideas about saving the world and blah, blah, blah, but if either of you think that I'll be able to survive if something bad were to happen, then—"</p><p>"Tony, please, just stop!" Steve pleaded. He drew Tony close again, squeezing him so hard that he grunted. "Please, sweetheart, don't talk like that. You're so much stronger than you think, and it hurts me to hear you say things like that."</p><p>"Mmm, fine," muttered Tony. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one."</p><p>Steve's shoulders dropped. "Tony—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Tony buried his nose into Steve's neck, breathing in deeply. "Gods, honey, you just smell so damn good. Are you sure we still have to go to this meeting of yours?"</p><p>"Since Sam went to all the trouble of arranging it, then yes, I'm afraid so," answered Steve. "Hopefully it'll be quick, so we can get to Ma's a bit earlier. When I called her after my shower she told me that Peter's been pretty tired today."</p><p>"Mmm. Not too surprising since he's in a new place," said Tony. "Are Bucky and Sam there with him?"</p><p>"They were there from lunchtime until about an hour ago," Steve said. "Peter was asleep when I called, but Ma said he was doing fine otherwise. Sharon's going to stop there on her way home from the hospital too, just to check on him."</p><p>Tony let out a heavy sigh, pushing his glasses up his nose. "All right, then we may as well get going. Phillips already dismissed me for the day."</p><p>"Sounds good." With a final kiss, Steve stood up and offered Tony his arm. "Shall we?"</p><p>Tony's brown eyes sparkled as he finally gave Steve the smile he'd been needing to see.</p><p>"We shall."</p><p>Since it was a beautiful, sunny day outside they took Steve's motorcycle, arriving at the cozy restaurant Sam had chosen just as Sam was helping Bucky out of the passenger seat of his car.</p><p>"Hey, guys," Sam said, a rather disgruntled look on his face. "Which one of you taught that kid of yours how to play chess, hmm?"</p><p>"I did," Tony said proudly. "Why, he beat ya?"</p><p>"No, he didn't beat me," said Sam. "He only kicked both my ass and Bucky's in about an hour flat. It was like he could see the whole damn game from just the first move."</p><p>"Ah, you're just mad because I lasted longer than you did," said Bucky.</p><p>"Oh, you think so, huh? You only lasted a whole three moves longer."</p><p>"Well, we don't need to get into specifics now, do we?"</p><p>"No, of course not," Sam said with a playful scowl. "But see, if it happened to be the other way round, then you'd be all mopey and pouty with your hangdog look, and—"</p><p>"Sam!" Steve said suddenly. He pointed to his teammate's left hand, and the ring sitting on his third finger. "Um… do you guys have some news for us?"</p><p>Bucky immediately rolled his eyes. "You really don't miss a thing, do ya? We were gonna tell everyone once we all sat down."</p><p>Steve tightened his grip on Tony's hand, his heart lighter than it had been in days. This was the perfect example of the kind of optimism he needed to see at the moment.</p><p>"What can I say?" he said as he reached for Sam, pulling him into a quick hug. "Congratulations, Sam. You couldn't've picked a better guy."</p><p>"Don't I know it," Sam said happily. "Even if he does get pouty when he loses at chess."</p><p>Steve reached for Bucky next, hugging him carefully. "I'm so happy for you, Buck."</p><p>"Yeah, Stevie," replied Bucky. "Me too."</p><p>"Congratulations, guys," Tony said. "I bet Pete was thrilled too."</p><p>"Oh, he was," said Bucky. "And more than a bit smug, if I do say so." He shook his head at Steve's quizzical look. "It's just an inside joke, no big deal."</p><p>"Um, is there a reason why all you guys are just standing in the parking lot?" Carol suddenly asked from behind Steve's shoulder, with Colonel Rhodes standing next to her. "'Cause I thought we were supposed to be meeting inside?"</p><p>"Yes, yes, we are," Steve said quickly. He gestured towards Carol. "Ladies first, Captain."</p><p>"Such a gentleman," Carol said with a smirk as she stepped forward, grinning at Colonel Rhodes as he held the door open for her. "Good thing I'm surrounded by 'em."</p><p>They all entered the restaurant to find John Sheppard and Cam Mitchell already seated in the back, where the wait staff had pushed two tables together.</p><p>"It's about time you all showed up!" John said, raising his large mug of beer as Steve pulled out Tony's chair. "Cam and I were already arguing over who was gonna pay for the next round!"</p><p>"Yeah, but only 'cause you still owe me for the last one, Sheppard," said Cam. He rolled his eyes, quickly downing the rest of his beer. "But now that Rogers is here, I'm thinking that he can cover the next round."</p><p>"No, no, I'll get it," said Colonel Rhodes as he sat down next to Carol. "Long as you guys promise to quit whining about it."</p><p>"Nah, I don't think they know how to quit whining," said Sam. "It's like physically ingrained in them now."</p><p>Steve leaned back in his chair, draping his arm across Tony's shoulders as his teammates continued their banter. This was what being in the Air Corps was supposed to be like. This was the type of camaraderie that he craved. An entire team of people all willing to do something very difficult and dangerous just because it was the right thing to do.</p><p>And they were all looking to him to lead it.</p><p>"Um, I hate to rush you, Cap," Sam said once they'd all ordered. "But we probably should start talking before these guys have too many beers."</p><p>"Yeah," said Carol. "The last thing we need is for Mitchell here to start crying again."</p><p>"Hey, now!" protested Cam. "That was only one time! Only one time, and yet—!"</p><p>"All right, all right," Steve said. They could go round and round for hours detailing all of Mitchell and Sheppard's goofy exploits after they'd had a couple of beers, and while Steve was sure Tony would be amused, and likely contribute a few stories of his own, that wasn't exactly why they were there.</p><p>"So," he continued once everyone was quiet. He reached into his pocket, activating the scrambler that Tony had given him. "Sam, why don't we start with what you and Bucky were able to find with Peter this afternoon."</p><p>Sam gave a nod, leaning forward. "You know, I just gotta say, that kid is absolutely brilliant. He hadn't even had a hold of Bucky's datapad for three minutes and he'd already broken through the Air Corps firewall."</p><p>Tony grinned, with Steve's grin matching his. "That's our boy," said Tony. "He's been making me proud since day one."</p><p>"Yeah," said Sam. "I can see why." He looked straight at Steve, shaking his head. "It was all in there, Steve. Operation Darkstalker is real."</p><p>Steve's belly swooped, and he reached for Tony's hand, intertwining their fingers. "All right, Sam. Tell us."</p><p>"Maybe not all of it," Bucky cut in. "Stevie, there was a ton of stuff in there and Peter didn't have the energy to go through it all, so he just did some quick searches for a few keywords that we've been wondering about."</p><p>"Such as?" asked Colonel Rhodes.</p><p>"Such as two other civilian scientists who supposedly died in lab accidents," Tony said. "Bruce Banner and Reed Richards."</p><p>"Yes, Peter looked up both of those guys," said Sam. "And based on what he found, both of them were conducting experiments on the very same device that we're planning to use for our mission."</p><p>Steve's eyebrows shot up. "You mean the tesseract?"</p><p>"That's the one," said Bucky. "Apparently this Richards guy completely painted the walls of his lab with himself, and Banner, well… from what Peter found it didn't go any better for him."</p><p>"Banner's lab was covered in scorch marks," said Tony. "And from what Phillips told me no one's dared to go down there since he went kaboom, so—"</p><p>"Okay, that all kinda sucks, but what does it have to do with anything?" asked Carol.</p><p>"Because those two scientists being killed while running experiments on the tesseract proves that the government, and specifically General O'Brien, knows how powerful it is," said Tony. "And it also happens to correspond with what my father always said about it. He knew better than anyone the immensity of the power held inside that damn cube, and yet no one listened to him. Just because his last name is Stark."</p><p>"Yeah, and we get that, Tony, we really do," said Colonel Rhodes. "But it still doesn't explain—"</p><p>"Yes, it does," interrupted Steve. He glanced over at Tony, who gave him a quick nod. "We think that the weapon that took out the power plant at the end of the Battle of the Continents was powered by energy from the tesseract."</p><p>"Steve!" exclaimed Bucky. "Are you—are you <em>sure?</em> 'Cause that would mean that—"</p><p>"It would mean that my papa was killed by a Langaran weapon instead of a Meridian one," Steve said, almost spitting the words. "And it also would mean that the Langaran military deliberately attacked our own power plant, which then threw the entire country into chaos."</p><p>"And allowed the military to take over," said Sam. "Boom. Brand new government."</p><p>"Except they had no idea how powerful it would be," said Tony. "Because the only person who had any inkling of it was my father, and they never asked him."</p><p>"Okay, so, who'd they ask?" asked Cam. "'Cause I thought Howard Stark was supposed to be the so-called expert on that kind of stuff back then."</p><p>"Not so-called," said Tony. "He was <em>the </em>expert. He was the only person studying it at the time. Or at least the only one on our side."</p><p>"Okay, so hold on a sec," said John. "Are you trying to tell me that someone else had access to our super-secret, high-energy tech? Someone working for Meridia? Or with Meridia?"</p><p>"Yes," Steve stated. "That's exactly what we're saying."</p><p>"Okay, but who?" asked Carol. "Do we know who this person is? And maybe more important, do we know where this person is now?"</p><p>Steve glanced over at Tony, who gave him a dubious shrug.</p><p>"We think it might've been a man by the name of Hank Pym," Steve said. "He was another civilian scientist working for the Air Corps, and was also personally present when Howard Stark was arrested. And as soon as Howard was found not guilty, he up and disappeared. No one's seen or heard from him since."</p><p>"Or at least, no one has officially heard from him since," said Colonel Rhodes.</p><p>"Right," said Tony. "And Hank was brilliant, but he wasn't at Howard's level, and he's not at mine or Pete's either. So when the weapon was deployed it ended up being a lot more destructive than he'd originally calculated. And because of that he ended up killing not only about a hundred times more people than the military leaders had deemed acceptable, he also ended up killing his own wife."</p><p>"Ouch," said John. "That's gotta sting a bit."</p><p>"Or more than a bit," Steve said through clenched teeth. "Even so, the fact that those military leaders had deemed any amount of civilian casualties 'acceptable' is all the proof I need to denounce them."</p><p>"Okay, so let me get this straight," said Sam. "We've got this Pym guy who's running secret experiments on Stark's project, and then it goes wrong, and—"</p><p>"Well, only kinda wrong," said Bucky. "I mean, their goal was to take out the power plant, right? They wanted to plunge the country into darkness."</p><p>"Yeah, but then when it ended up being a lot more destructive than it should've been, they went and blamed Howard because he was the only scientist officially assigned to work on the tesseract," said Tony. He slumped into his chair, his fingers tight around Steve's. "He really was framed. And the guy who helped frame him is just sitting pretty over there in Merida, propped up by the very government that should've had him arrested."</p><p>A heavy layer of silence settled over the table, broken only by the arrival of their waiter with their food. Steve was relieved when Sam took the initiative to lighten the conversation while everyone ate, proudly announcing he and Bucky's engagement to a chorus of wolf whistles and well wishes.</p><p>Unfortunately, it only took about fifteen minutes or so for most of the plates to empty. Steve's enhanced metabolism notwithstanding, hungry pilots never took very long to eat.</p><p>"So, I hate to be that guy," Cam said as he popped the last of his fried potatoes into his mouth. "But given how powerful this tesseract thing really is, are we sure it's safe for us to use? I mean, how can we be sure that it's not gonna explode as soon as Steve deploys it?"</p><p>"We know because the containment vessel that I built to carry the thing is made from a metal that absorbs vibrations," said Tony. "It's the same metal that's powering the space-faring X-302s."</p><p>"Meaning?" asked Cam.</p><p>"Meaning if the tesseract does try to cause any problems, the box its in will keep it in line," answered Tony.</p><p>"Well, damn," said Carol. "If this metal can do that then why aren't we using it to build all of our aircraft? The Meridian missiles and bullets would just bounce right off!"</p><p>"'Cause we don't have that much of it," said Steve. "Just enough to power our X-302s and build the container. It's an extremely rare metal."</p><p>"Okay, so, I really think we need to run through the plan again, Steve," said Colonel Rhodes. "Just so we're all clear."</p><p>"Good idea, Colonel," Steve said with a nod. "So—"</p><p>"Rhodey," said Colonel Rhodes. "Or James, if you would prefer that, but please, Steve, don't call me Colonel Rhodes when we're off duty. I don't wanna feel like you're gonna salute me every time you talk to me."</p><p>"All right… James. Thank you, sir," Steve said. It was beyond awkward for him to address a superior officer by his first name, but as long as the Colonel insisted he supposed it was okay.</p><p>"So, as far as we know, General O'Brien believes that Project Phoenix is still an orbital defence system, which is how it was originally designed and presented to the government," Steve began. "Tony built the tesseract container in secret, and it's currently being guarded by people who've been assigned by Colonel Phillips. On the morning of the mission, Colonel Phillips will oversee the loading of the tesseract into my X-302, after which the eight Phoenix satellites will be mounted on both mine and Carol's aircraft."</p><p>Steve paused, sucking in a deep breath. This was where things were going to get tricky.</p><p>"Carol and I will take off at the same time as the assigned A-shift patrols, which means that you guys," and he pointed to John and Cam, "along with Majors Lorne and Kowalski will be our air support."</p><p>"If we need you," said Carol. "Which, no offence, we're kinda hoping we won't."</p><p>"Hey, none taken," John said, raising his hands. "I'm not looking forward to the possibility of having to fire on any other Langaran pilots."</p><p>"We'll also have the C-shift patrol pilots on backup support," Steve continued. "And as soon as Carol and I make it through the atmospheric barrier and into space, that's when Colonel Phillips will initiate the ground forces to surround General O'Brien's headquarters. He'll be supported from the air by the B-shift pilots, who'll be waiting inside their respective aircraft, ready to launch on his signal."</p><p>There was a pause as Steve's words filtered through everyone's minds. There was no longer any doubt about it. He had just outlined the steps of a full-on coup.</p><p>"Okay, so… what happens afterwards?" asked Cam. "Once you and Carol get done deploying all your stuff, what then?"</p><p>Steve breathed in, deliberately lowering his shoulders. "Carol and I will be up there for over two days deploying the satellites. Once we're done and everything's activated, we'll reenter the atmosphere and report immediately to the hangar to wait for Colonel Phillips's instructions."</p><p>"And I wanna make it crystal clear right now," said Colonel Rhodes—<em>James.</em> "Colonel Phillips is not looking to replace one military dictator with another. He has absolutely no desire to be in power, and in fact had to be convinced by myself and several others to even agree to what he's agreed to."</p><p>"Which is… what, exactly?" asked John.</p><p>"Colonel Phillips will be the de facto leader of Langara for a total of three weeks, during which time arrangements for a national free election will take place," said James. "Both myself and a few other ranking Langaran officers will be tasked with supporting him through this transition, as well as with preparing court martial proceedings for General O'Brien and his supporters."</p><p>"And how're we planning on informing the people that they're now free?" asked Cam.</p><p>Steve smiled widely. This was by far his favourite part of the whole plan. "Once Carol and I have deployed and activated everything, Colonel Phillips is planning on holding a news conference after the normal curfew time," he said. "We figure when people realise their lights haven't gone off, they'll be curious as to why."</p><p>"And their lights won't have turned off because the tesseract is powerful enough to run both Langara and Meridia for… well… we don't actually know how long, but estimates put it into the centuries," added Tony.</p><p>"Damn," murmured John. "That's… gonna take some getting used to."</p><p>"It will for all of us," agreed Steve. "And yeah, there will be a lot of uncertainty and fear out there in the beginning, because people won't understand what happened and they tend to fear what they don't understand. But once people realise that they no longer have to cower in the dark every single night, afraid of getting bombed by the enemy, I'm guessing that that fear won't last very long."</p><p>"And even less so if the so-called enemy turns out to have been their very own government the whole time," said Sam. He shot Colonel Rhodes—<em>James </em>a sympathetic look. "Sir, I do not envy you in preparing for those court martials. Those are gonna be some real doozies."</p><p>"Ah, he'll be up for it," Carol said as she elbowed James in the arm. "He's pretty good at smooth-talking."</p><p>"Uhh, thanks," James said with a playful frown. "And yeah, I don't envy me either. But the people deserve to know exactly how they've been lied to for the last twenty-eight years."</p><p>"Just so long as all of this works," said Cam. "'Cause you know if it doesn't then O'Brien's gonna come down on all of us like a big bag of hammers."</p><p>"Yeah, Steve," said John. "I'm thinking that after all this is done and we save the planet and all, you should owe me a round of golf."</p><p>Steve glanced over at Tony, his expression tentative. "As soon as our son gets his heart fixed and we can take him home," he said. "Then I'll be happy to."</p><p>"Well, yeah," John murmured. "That's definitely more important."</p><p>"Oh, yeah," said Cam. "When you see your kid tonight, tell him that we all say hi, hmm? No way any of this would've worked without him."</p><p>"We definitely will," said Steve as he squeezed Tony's hand. "And on that note, Tony and I need to be going. Peter's been pretty tired lately, and we don't want to keep him waiting." He pulled out his wallet, intending to pay the bill when James stopped his hand.</p><p>"Nah, Steve, we'll all pitch in and cover for you guys," he said. "Go on and see your kid."</p><p>"Thanks, Rhodey," Tony said as he got to his feet. "I owe you one."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," James muttered playfully. "And how many times have I heard that one, hmm?"</p><p>"Probably too many to count," Steve said. He shot Tony a wink as he offered him his arm. "Shall we?"</p><p>"Yep," said Tony. "We shall."</p><p>"Well, I think that went as well as we could've hoped," Steve said as they exited the restaurant. He was still plenty nervous, but the steadfast support of his teammates along with having a solid plan in place had worked to alleviate at least some of his concerns.</p><p>"Yeah, I think so," Tony said. He climbed up onto the motorcycle behind Steve, wrapping his arms tightly around Steve's chest. "I'm ready, honey."</p><p>Steve twisted his head, planting a quick kiss on Tony's arm. "Me too, sweetheart," he said. "Me too."</p><p>
  <em>We can do this. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>We can do this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We have to do this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>T-minus two days, and counting.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Not surprisingly, the following day seemed to fly by in only a matter of minutes, to the point where Tony could hardly believe it as he and Steve pulled into Sarah's driveway to say goodnight to Peter. He had been working frantically all day long, uploading the latest version of JARVIS into Steve and Carol's X-302s and double-checking everything from the satellite mounting brackets to the mechanism he'd derived for Steve to deploy the tesseract. Since he couldn't just mount the tesseract on the outside of the aircraft, Tony had to come up with a way for it to be stored inside the aircraft itself. Thankfully, when he had designed the X-302s he'd left a mechanism in place from earlier aircraft that could essentially function as a type of bomb bay door, and while Carol's was sealed shut since the X-302s didn't require such a mechanism, the door on the underside of Steve's aircraft was now functional, allowing him to deploy the tesseract once all of the satellites were in place.</p><p>And once all that was done, all that would be left for Steve to do would be to activate it, and almost thirty years of harsh military rule would finally be at an end.</p><p>And then, once Steve and Carol were back and all of the dust had settled, he and Steve would be finally able to get Peter his operation, and then they could finally go <em>home.</em> To their log cabin on the lake, which, thanks to Steve's signature on the lease he'd just presented to Tony the night before, was now officially theirs.</p><p>Mr Optimism indeed.</p><p>"So, I heard that you kicked your Uncle Sam's ass again at chess today, hmm?" Tony said as he brushed the curls out of Peter's eyes, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.</p><p>"Yep, I did," Peter said weakly. "Beat Uncle Bucky too."</p><p>"Yeah? Well, I'm not surprised. You've always been the master chess player." Tony's heart fluttered as Peter barely nodded in reply. He had been getting more and more fatigued even before they had moved him, but it seemed that just in the last few days he'd gotten so much worse. Peter's skin, which had always been cool to the touch, felt downright frigid to Tony now, with his lips a scary, bluish-grey colour. Sarah had increased his oxygen flow the night before and said that he was looking better because of it, but, like everything else, it was still only a temporary fix.</p><p>They were running out of time.</p><p>And the fact that neither he nor Steve would be able to visit Peter for at least the next couple of days was already causing Tony's anxiety level to ratchet up even more. As long as nothing went wrong, Steve and Carol's mission was scheduled to last a little less than three days since they would only be deploying one satellite each per orbital rotation. And while Tony knew that he might be able to sneak away from the base for a bit as long as everything was stable, there still was a very good chance that it wouldn't be.</p><p>"Did Papa tell you all of his plans for you once you're all healed up?" he asked, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said, attempting a smile. "He told me something about a belated birthday party at the lake."</p><p>"Yep, that's right," Tony said. "And we'll have balloons, and cake, and even a tree-climbing competition, yeah? And Uncle James and Auntie Carol and Uncle Bucky and Uncle Sam, and all of Papa's other teammates will be there."</p><p>Peter's tongue poked out to wet his chapped lips. "Yeah. That sounds like loads of fun. Can't wait."</p><p>"Okay, buddy." Tony leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Peter's forehead. "I'm gonna get Papa back in here so we can both say goodbye, yeah? Let you get some sleep?"</p><p>"Uh huh. Sounds good."</p><p>"All right." Tony's hands were shaking as he poked his head out of the bedroom, finding Steve standing down the hall with his ma.</p><p>"He's ready for bed now, hon," he said. "Kid's pretty wiped out."</p><p>"All right," Steve said quietly. Peter's condition hadn't gone unnoticed by Steve either, and Tony knew that it not only worried him, it angered him that he was so helpless to do anything about it.</p><p>Just like it angered Tony.</p><p>"I love you so much, little guy," Steve said as he cupped Peter's round cheek in his hand. "And I promise that as soon as I get back we're gonna get you fixed up, okay? You just gotta stay strong until then."</p><p>"I know, Papa," Peter said, forcing Tony to turn away in order to hide his tears. "I will."</p><p>"That's my boy," murmured Steve. He leaned down, kissing Peter's forehead. "I'll see you soon."</p><p>"Uh huh. Love you."</p><p>Steve stepped back, his hand resting on Tony's shoulder as Tony took his place.</p><p>"I love you, buddy," he said as he gave Peter his forehead kiss. "Papa and I will be back as soon as we can, okay? Don't be giving your grandma any trouble."</p><p>"I won't," said Peter. "Love you."</p><p>Tony's heart felt like a giant ball of lead in his chest, and he probably would've just sat there all night if Steve hadn't tugged on his shoulder, urging him gently to his feet.</p><p>"C'mon, sweetheart," he murmured. "It's time to go."</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said, swiping at his eyes as he nodded. Peter's eyes were already closed, his shallow breaths steady and even.</p><p>After saying a quick goodbye to Sarah, who promised to watch over Peter like a hawk, they were off, riding back to the base on Steve's motorcycle in a daze of fear and sorrow. Since he and Steve had already eaten dinner—if you could call picking at a plate of food for thirty minutes actually eating—they headed directly for their dark barracks room, with Steve making a beeline for the record player before the door had even closed.</p><p>"Sweetheart," Steve said as he shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it somewhere off to the side before reaching for Tony, pulling him close. "Can I—?"</p><p>"Oh gods, baby, <em>yes,</em>" Tony rasped as he tilted his head up to meet Steve's lips. The kiss was hard and frantic, and Tony whimpered as Steve cupped his cheek, his tongue slipping inside his mouth to stroke against his own. Tony knew that they both had been using sex as a distraction far too often lately, but at the moment he also didn't give a damn.</p><p>Besides, the sex he had with Steve was the best sex that Tony had ever had in his life. Even during their more frantic, make-me-forget sessions, Steve was still so attentive and passionate and loving that sometimes it was all Tony could do to keep from just melting into him completely. Before Peter was born, Tony had always thought himself to be too selfish to actually love anyone, and too self-loathing to think that anyone might actually want to love him. Sex for him was nothing more than a cheap thrill and a way to blow off steam, with little to no thoughts of developing any kind of lasting relationship. But after Peter came along, Tony's interest in sex practically evaporated overnight, with him indulging in only the occasional date or hookup until Peter's heart problem was discovered and he pretty much swore it off completely.</p><p>Until Steve, that is.</p><p>Tony had confessed to Steve not too long ago that he was only the second person that Tony had ever bottomed with, with the first time being such an unpleasant experience that he swore he would never do it again. And yet, even in the days leading up to their first time Tony instinctively knew that despite Steve's obvious strength and their differences in size, that he could trust him. That Tony could trust Steve to take care of him.</p><p>A trust that Steve had not even come close to breaking.</p><p>In fact, he'd had to remind Steve a few times that even though he was a bit smaller than him and didn't have super-soldier serum coursing through his veins, he wasn't made out of glass either.</p><p>Tony moaned as Steve broke away from his mouth and kissed a path down his cheek to his neck, sucking gently on his pulse point as his trembling hands worked the buttons of Tony's shirt, shoving it off of him before going to work on his belt.</p><p>"Here, baby, let me," Tony murmured as he stilled Steve's hands, undoing both his belt and the button on his pants. He gasped as Steve quickly slid his hands down Tony's waistband to his ass, squeezing both cheeks before hoisting him up and onto the bed.</p><p>"You're so beautiful," Steve whispered as he crawled up over Tony and gently removed his glasses, his lust-blown blue eyes sweeping across Tony's face and body. "Gods, Tony, I love you so much!"</p><p>Tony huffed, reaching for Steve with grabby hands. "Then get back down here, hot stuff. I need to touch you."</p><p>Steve grinned, giving him a quick, "Yes, sir," as he pulled off his t-shirt. As Steve settled over him, Tony took hold of his shoulders, delighting in the soft skin and hard muscle beneath his palms as he tugged Steve's face down so he could kiss him. They were both already hard, their erections rubbing deliciously together through the fabric of their pants as Steve's hand slid underneath Tony's ass, pressing him even closer to him.</p><p>"<em>Steve,"</em> Tony moaned as Steve suddenly sat back on his heels, sliding Tony's pants and underwear off and tossing them onto the floor. He bit his bottom lip as Steve's eyes swept across him again, like he was trying to memorise him, and the thought of it made Tony shiver.</p><p>"Please, honey," he whispered. "Please, don't. You're—"</p><p>"I need to burn you into my memory, sweetheart," Steve said as he moved down the bed to Tony's feet, curling his fingers around his ankles and slowly gliding them up his legs as his lips followed in their path. "Need to remember every single dip and curve of your beautiful body, every single place that I've felt and touched and kissed. It's so cold out there in space, <em>mo stor</em>, and I'll need you to help me stay warm."</p><p>"Oh gods, baby, you know I'll do anything for you." Tony gasped as Steve's lips reached his pelvis and his aching erection, pressing small kisses all along its length before taking him into his mouth. The moan that escaped from Tony's throat was loud and wanton, his fingers burying into Steve's thick blond hair as Steve trailed his calloused fingertips all along his sides and hips, pleasure bursting through his body like fireworks.</p><p>For someone who had been so inexperienced, Tony was convinced that Steve now knew his body better than he did.</p><p>"Steve!" he exclaimed a few moments later, tugging sharply on Steve's hair as the pleasure suddenly ramped up, almost pulling him over the edge. He huffed out a sharp breath as Steve released him, kissing back up his abdomen and chest to his lips, the kiss languid and lazy but still with a sense of underlying urgency as Steve worked his pants and underwear down his legs.</p><p>"Can you roll over for me?" Steve asked, his beautiful face so flushed and eager that he could've asked Tony to bring him the moon on a platter and Tony would've scrambled to do so. He stole another quick kiss before turning onto his stomach, rutting lightly against the sheets as Steve grabbed a bottle of what looked like massage oil off his bedside table and poured some into his hand.</p><p>"I thought I'd give you a little rubdown first," he whispered into Tony's ear as he placed his hands on Tony's shoulders, carefully digging into his worry-tightened muscles. "Just try and relax, sweetheart. I'm gonna take good care of you."</p><p>"Mmm," Tony groaned as Steve's long, deft fingers worked their magic, turning his back and shoulder muscles to jelly. Out of the corner of one eye Tony watched his beloved boyfriend, his features etched in concentration in the faint moonlight streaming in the window, and the pink tip of his tongue poking between his teeth, just like it always did when he sketched.</p><p>
  <em>How in the hell did I get so goddamn lucky?</em>
</p><p>Finished with Tony's shoulders and upper back, Steve continued down to his middle and lower back, eventually reaching his ass. He took his time there, massaging it with such deep but tender strokes that soon Tony felt the pleasure building deep inside his gut, pleasure that spiked as Steve's index finger accidentally-on-purpose slipped down into his crack.</p><p>"Steve!" Tony cried as his body bowed up like a bowstring, ready to snap. "Honey, now you're just teasing me!"</p><p>"Oh, really?" Steve asked, grinning wickedly as he did it again, this time going even slower and deeper. "You think so, huh?"</p><p>"Goddamnit, baby, just open me up already!" Tony begged. He was gripping the sheets so tightly with his clenched hands that pain shot through his knuckles. "Please, Steve, I need you inside me!"</p><p>"Always so antsy," Steve said with a smirk. He leaned down for a deep, sloppy kiss before reaching for the bottle of lube. "Back on your back now, okay?"</p><p>"Don't you even think about trying to go slow now," Tony warned as he rolled over. "You know I can take it."</p><p>"And you know that I'm not gonna do anything to hurt you," Steve gently retorted. He settled between Tony's legs, hiking Tony's knees up to his chest. "And the next time we do this," he said as he slicked up his fingers. "I'm gonna use my tongue as well."</p><p>"Oh, holy <em>shiiiit," </em>Tony moaned as one of Steve's fingers slowly pushed inside him, followed quickly by a second. Despite the rubdown that Steve had given him he was still so tense with desire that he thought he might explode, grappling at Steve's neck to pull him down for another deep kiss. "You think I'm about to let you go off to space now that you've gone and said something like that? That is positively the hottest goddamn thing you've ever said to me!"</p><p>Instead of answering, Steve twisted his fingers, finding the magic spot inside Tony that made the pleasure shoot so hard across his body that he felt he might short-circuit.</p><p>"Steve—!"</p><p>"Oh gods, Tony, look at you," Steve said as he hit that spot again, his blue eyes so dark they were almost black. "I wish you could see how beautiful you are right now, <em>mo stor</em>. I'm the luckiest man in the entire world to be able to love you, and to be loved by you." He paused, his lower lip shaking as he trailed his free hand down Tony's cheek. "Sweetheart, no matter what happens with this mission, I—"</p><p>"No!" Tony said firmly. He honestly didn't think he could bear hearing Steve say it again. "Don't you dare say it, you understand me? Everything's going to be just fine, so," and he clenched down on Steve's fingers, wiggling his hips," why don't you just get on with it, yeah? 'Cause my patience is starting to run very, very thin."</p><p>Steve's chest heaved as he nodded, withdrawing his fingers. Then he slid a pillow under Tony's lower back and hooked his knees over his hips, leaning down to brush a soft kiss across his lips.</p><p>"Look at me, Tony," Steve said as he lined himself up and slowly pushed inside him. "Look at me while I take you."</p><p>Steve's look of pure, barely-contained bliss combined with his rather stern Captain's voice was so incredibly erotic that Tony almost came right then and there. Most of the time during their lovemaking sessions Tony would've already given Steve either a handjob or a blowjob to help him take the edge off, but other times, like this one, Tony just somehow knew that Steve didn't want it. That he wanted to push his self-control to its limit, just like he pushed himself on his morning runs.</p><p>"That's it, baby," Tony said as Steve paused to suck in air, his arms and chest shaking. "Gods, you're just so fucking gorgeous!"</p><p>"Tony, <em>oh gods,</em> you feel so incredible," Steve choked out. He slid his arms underneath Tony and pulled him onto his lap, allowing his cock to slip in even further. Tony's chest was heaving by the time Steve was fully sheathed, and he buried his face into Steve's neck, clinging to him for dear life as Steve gripped his hips and began to move him up and down.</p><p>"Fuck, baby, you're so good," Tony rasped as Steve's thrusts slowly gained speed. "So good. You're too good to me."</p><p>"No. I'll never be too good for you," Steve said as he repositioned Tony yet again, this time cradling him against his forearms as Tony held onto his shoulders. Then he pressed their foreheads together as he fucked Tony even deeper, their intermingling breaths only sharp puffs of air.</p><p>"Oh gods, sweetheart," Steve whispered only a few heartbeats later. "I'm so close. I—I can't—you just feel too good, and I—"</p><p>"It's okay, baby," Tony managed. He tilted his head to capture Steve's lips, plunging his tongue into Steve's mouth just as one of Steve's hands wrapped around his cock, stroking him in time with his thrusts. "'M close too, I can't—"</p><p>For a moment everything went so hot and blindingly white that Tony honestly believed that he'd been transported to some kind of afterlife. It wasn't until Steve tucked him against his sweat-glistened chest that he realised they had both come within seconds of each other, their hearts beating in tandem as Steve's hands splayed across Tony's back, holding him as close as he dared.</p><p>"I love you, sweetheart," Steve finally whispered. "I'll always love you."</p><p>"I know, honey," Tony whispered back. "I love you too."</p><p>They stayed there, just clinging to each other in the middle of the bed for several minutes, until Steve carefully pulled out of Tony and laid him down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before getting up to fetch a washcloth from the tiny bathroom. His face was etched in adoration mixed with worry as he carefully cleaned Tony's body, gathering him into his arms under the blankets once he was done. The record player was still on, but since it needed to be wound up about every hour or so, Tony figured it would be turning off soon.</p><p>"This is gonna work, sweetheart," Steve murmured into Tony's ear. "It's gonna work because we're in it together, and as long as we're together, no one can stop us."</p><p>"That's right," Tony answered, hoping that he sounded like he meant it. He burrowed even closer, his throat tightening when Steve laced their fingers together in front of him. He had no qualms that either of them would get much—if any—sleep, but that was okay.</p><p>Because they were about to embark on a mission that would not only change their entire world, it would also save their son's life.</p><p>Sleep could wait.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>I’m on tumblr at <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a>, stop by and say hi!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The mission’s finally here! 😮 </p><p>Don’t forget to hit that kudos button and leave me a comment!  I love hearing what you guys think!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The mission is here!</p><p>Awesome cover art by therollingstonys, thank you so much! 💖 </p><p>And a huge thank-you to my awesome beta, allthesinnersandthesaints 💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p>Steve woke with a start, the remnants of a half-remembered nightmare slowly ebbing from his mind as he burrowed closer to Tony, burying his nose into his beautifully soft hair. Ever since he'd moved in Tony had been using Steve's shampoo and soap during their daily morning showers, and the possessive side of Steve absolutely loved it. The combination of his grapefruit shampoo mixed with the faint smell of coconut that seemed to seep from Tony's skin was positively intoxicating, and something that Steve could never get enough of.</p><p>And it was similar for Tony as well, as Tony still insisted that no matter how sweaty or stinky Steve was, his skin always smelled of vanilla, which had always been one of Tony's favourite scents. That plus the fact that Peter's precious curls always smelled faintly of green apples and Steve was one happy family man, surrounded by his boys and their comforting, foody-type scents.</p><p>Steve breathed in deeply, allowing the glorious scent to permeate throughout his body before turning his face just enough to press his cheek against the top of Tony's head, tightening his arm where it was draped over Tony's trim waist. They were both still naked, too tired and sated after their last lovemaking session less than ninety minutes ago to do much more than pull the covers back up over themselves and spoon together.</p><p>He had honestly been surprised that he'd been able to sleep at all, especially since his—and Tony's as well—sleep had been so horrible for the last several days. He'd been prepared to lie awake the whole night, to just hold Tony close as his mind ran though their complicated plan over and over again. It wasn't until Tony had already fallen asleep and he'd been just on the cusp of it that Steve realised there really was no point for him to dwell on it. Their plan, although complicated, was sound, with every person involved committed to it one hundred percent.</p><p>All that remained was for Steve to trust in his teammates, none of whom had ever come close to letting him down.</p><p>A soft noise escaped from Tony's throat as Steve drew him impossibly closer, his hand splaying across Tony's abdomen as he tried to soak up every single second of their closeness. Warmth bloomed across Steve's chest as he recalled how Tony had woken him in the middle of the night, how Tony's lips had brushed across his neck as his slick fingers curled around his erect cock. As soon as Steve had peeled his eyes open Tony had climbed on top of him, rubbing Steve's cock against his ass as he pleaded with his frightened brown eyes for Steve to help him chase the nightmares away.</p><p>And Steve had been only too happy to oblige, especially since despite being able to fall asleep rather easily, he had been plagued by nightmares too. Horrible dreams of Langaran soldiers dressed in enemy uniforms breaking into his ma's house to steal Peter away, or renegade missiles embossed with the crest of the Langaran Air Corps but launched from the Meridian border, all aiming directly for Tony.</p><p>Colonel Phillips had personally promised Steve numerous times that both Tony and Peter would be kept as safe as possible during the Phoenix mission, but Steve was still worried for them. He was supposed to be their protector, but how in the hell could he possibly do that while he was millions of kilometres away in space?</p><p>Steve had contemplated the possibility of having Carol take over the tesseract part of the mission and training someone else to deploy the satellites with her, but had ended up deciding against it for a few reasons. One: while everyone on the A-shift had trained in the Phoenix simulators, only he, Carol, and Bucky were chosen for the trial space mission. Making a change this late in the game would not only be asking for trouble, it could potentially raise suspicions in the wrong people. Two: as the de facto leader of their team, it was therefore Steve's responsibility to conduct the most important part of the mission. If anything happened to go wrong with the tesseract itself or its deployment, the whole thing would fail.</p><p>And, most importantly: as much as Steve realised that the Phoenix mission was going to both end the war and save their planet, it was also going to save Peter's life, and Steve didn't want that responsibility to fall on anyone else's shoulders. He was Peter's papa; it was up to him to take care of his child.</p><p>Whatever it took.</p><p>Steve breathed in again, nuzzling even further into Tony's hair as Tony let out a semi-contented sigh, his ass pressing rather insistently against Steve's already aching erection. Ever since Tony had moved in with him not a day had passed where Steve didn’t wake up so hard it was almost painful. Aside from how much he loved Tony, Steve's physical attraction to him was beyond anything that he'd ever experienced, or even dreamed of. Tony was always talking about Steve being perfect, but to Steve, Tony was the one who was perfect.</p><p>"Mmm," he moaned as Tony pressed his ass up against him again, his full lips curling into a rather smug smirk even as his eyes stayed closed. Steve tilted his head, his lips brushing across the shell of Tony's ear as he whispered, "And you call me a tease?"</p><p>Tony opened one sleepy eye. "Takes one to know one, honey," he murmured as he twisted around in Steve's arms. His lips formed a full-on grin as he trailed his fingers across Steve's right nipple, pulling a choked gasp from Steve's throat. "Hmm. Seems like you've got a situation here, <em>Captain."</em></p><p>"Oh, yeah?" Steve said as Tony's hand grazed down his chest and abdomen to wrap around his cock. They groaned in tandem as pleasure shot through Steve's body like a rocket. "And whose fault is that, hmm?"</p><p>Tony pulled back his head, his brown eyes twinkling in the dim morning light as he angled Steve's chin down so he could kiss him. The kiss was slow and lazy, as even on a normal day Tony never woke up very fast, which somehow managed to make Steve's desire for him skyrocket even more. Aside from the sex, which was always incredible, Steve just really loved kissing Tony.</p><p>"Tell me what you want, sweetheart," Steve murmured as he trailed kisses all along Tony's cheeks and jaw. "How can I please you?"</p><p>Tony huffed as he captured Steve's lips again, his tongue briefly sweeping inside, tangling with Steve's.</p><p>"Just like this," he whispered, rolling his hips to meet Steve's and gasping at the delicious friction. "Together."</p><p>"Together," Steve echoed, nodding as he kissed him again. Then he wrapped his arms around Tony and rolled so he was on top of him, bracketing Tony's hips with his knees as Tony's long fingers curled around their cocks, stroking them together.</p><p>"<em>Steve,"</em> Tony rasped as Steve broke away from his lips to kiss down to his neck, sucking on his sensitive pulse point just hard enough to leave a small mark. He was usually very careful to not leave any visible marks on Tony's body out of fear that he might somehow get him in trouble, but this time Steve figured that it didn't much matter. Aside from the fact that their room was almost certainly bugged, it's not like Colonel Phillips hadn't already guessed what went on in there practically every single night.</p><p>"Hold on, honey, just give me a sec," Tony said, grunting as he reached over to the bedside table for their nearly-empty bottle of lube. He quickly squeezed a generous amount into his palm before taking hold of their cocks again, his free hand sliding down Steve's back to squeeze his ass.</p><p>"Oh gods, Tony," Steve murmured into Tony's neck. "That feels incredible!"</p><p>"Yeah, it does. Fuck, baby, you're so good," Tony whispered, his stuttered breaths hot puffs of air against Steve's cheek. "I swear this ass of yours was sculpted by the gods."</p><p>Steve let out another sharp moan as the pleasure coil began to wind deep inside his gut, spiking as Tony's fingers on his ass slid over to brush across his crack. He shifted, capturing Tony's lips again in another bruising kiss as he wrapped his hand around Tony's, slowing the speed of his strokes. He was close, so very close, but he wasn't ready for it to be over just yet. He wasn't ready for their little window of early-morning bliss to close. There was so much uncertainty ahead of them, with the mission and with Peter's health, and Steve just wanted to stay inside their cozy and intimate bubble as long as he possibly could.</p><p>Unfortunately, it never was long enough, and soon enough he and Tony were both crying out as they spilled over their joined hands. Steve collapsed down on Tony once he was spent, tears welling in his eyes and dripping onto Tony's hair before he even realised they were there.</p><p>Their cozy little bubble had popped. It was now time to face reality.</p><p>"Tony—" he started.</p><p>"No," Tony quickly cut in, pursing his kiss-swollen lips. "Damnit, Steve, I already told you—"</p><p>"But, sweetheart, I need to tell you—"</p><p>"No, honey, <em>please!"</em> Tony pleaded, his frightened tone nearly cracking Steve's heart in two. "<em>Please, </em>just <em>don't! </em>I already know what you're gonna say, and—"</p><p>"No," Steve said as he covered Tony's lips with his fingers. He sucked in a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes closed in a vain attempt to stop his tears from flowing. He knew exactly why Tony didn't want to hear what he had to say, but he still needed to say it. For his own sake as much as for Tony's.</p><p>"Please, <em>mo stor,</em>" he said again. He pressed a light kiss to Tony's lips, his thumb brushing across his cheekbone. "I need to say this, and I need you to hear it. Please?"</p><p>Tony's lower lip started to shake, his eyebrows knitting together into the look of anguish that Steve had come to dread.</p><p>"Steve, <em>why?</em> I'm just not strong, honey, not like you, and I can't—I can barely even think about it, much less wanna actually hear it, so—"</p><p>"Sweetheart, stop. You're so much stronger than you think," Steve said, gently but firmly. He cradled Tony's beautiful face in his hands, pressing soft kisses to his forehead, nose, and finally his lips before pulling back to meet his eyes. "I love you, Tony. I love you with all of my heart and soul and everything in me, and no matter what happens—"</p><p>"Steve—!"</p><p>"No matter what happens, I want you to know that I will always love you. You and Peter have brought me so much joy in these last few months, joy that I never thought I was even remotely capable of feeling. You were the two pieces of my life that I never even knew I was missing, and for that I want to thank you."</p><p>Tony's jaw twitched as he glared up at Steve with glassy eyes. "And you know you don't have to," he stated. "You know it."</p><p>Steve's lips curled into the slightest of smiles. "I do know it," he said as he trailed his fingertips down Tony's cheekbone. "But I'm going to anyway."</p><p>"Hmph," Tony muttered as he wound his arms around Steve's neck. "You know that you are goddamn stubborn, right?"</p><p>"I have been told that from time to time," Steve answered. He leaned down, whispering in Tony's ear, "But I'm not the only one."</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Tony. "Maybe not."</p><p>Steve grinned against Tony's shoulder. "That's better."</p><p>Since Steve had decided to forgo his usual morning run that day, he and Tony took their time in the shower, washing each other's hair and body as their hands slid and stroked and their lips kissed across each other's skin, bringing each other to one final climax before they were chased out by a group of arriving backup night-shift pilots. Back in their room, they took their time getting ready, with Steve almost hyper aware that it could very well be the last time that he dressed in the Langaran Air Corps colours.</p><p>Once he'd finished tying on his flight boots, Steve picked up his sketchbook and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for Tony's hand.</p><p>"C'mere, sweetheart," he said, pulling Tony onto his lap. He opened his sketchbook, taking out the two portraits that he'd finished only the day before and handing one to Tony. They were identical, two copies of the same picture of he, Tony, and Peter standing in front of the massive tree that Peter had told him so much about. The three of them were posed as for a photograph, with Peter in the middle and Tony and Steve on either side, their hands resting on Peter's shoulders.</p><p>"It's a common custom for pilots to carry photos of our loved ones in our cockpits while we're flying," he explained. "And since we haven't had a chance to take a real family photograph yet, I decided to draw one instead."</p><p>Tony was quiet as he stared down at the drawing, his chin quivering as he traced his fingertip across Peter's round cheek.</p><p>"Steve,” he finally said. “I don't—I don't understand how… you've never even seen him like this, so—" He broke off, a single tear trailing down his cheek as he locked eyes with Steve. "Pete's not sick in this picture, honey. You've drawn him like he's—like he's just a normal kid."</p><p>Steve's heart fluttered as he released the breath he'd been holding. He had tried so hard to picture what Peter would look like once he was healthy again, and had also been very nervous that he'd somehow get it wrong and make Tony upset.</p><p>"I drew him that way so I could see him that way," he said softly. "And he will be a normal kid again, Tony, I promise you. As soon as all this is over."</p><p>Tony nodded, swallowing hard as he swiped at his eyes.</p><p>"Yeah. Once it's all over." He sniffed as he looked at Steve, his eyes flicking to the portrait in Steve's hand. "It's been so long. So long since I've seen him like this, and I—I'd almost forgotten what he was like."</p><p>"And I can't wait to see him for myself," Steve said. He pressed a hard kiss to Tony's forehead, brushing another tear from his cheek. "I'm going to be looking at this picture the entire time that I'm gone, okay? At the two people who I love more than anything else."</p><p>Tony's head thudded against Steve's collarbone. "Long as you don't forget to take the occasional peek at your gauges and stuff," he said. "Wouldn’t want them to get jealous or anything."</p><p>Steve smiled. "Nah, I'm not too worried about them. I'm sure JARVIS'll keep 'em in line."</p><p>"Yeah." Tony got to his feet, carefully tucking the drawing on top of his pile of papers. "It's never gonna leave my sight, honey."</p><p>"Good," answered Steve. Then he stood up, offering Tony his arm. "Shall we?"</p><p>"Yes," said Tony as he took Steve's elbow. "We shall."</p><hr/><p>Everything looked the same as Steve and Tony made their way across the base to the hangar. They walked through the same hallways, passed a lot of the same cadets and airmen on their way back from various training exercises and missions. Even the hangar itself seemed the same, with the aircraft all lined up just like they always were, the din of their engines and the shouting back and forth of the various grounds people filling the air.</p><p>If it hadn't been for the four large satellites mounted underneath the rounded wings of Steve's and Carol's aircraft, Steve would have almost been convinced that it'd all been some sort of mad dream.</p><p>But it wasn't. It was very, very real.</p><p>He and his teammates were going to overthrow their government.</p><p>He covered Tony's hand with his own as he came to a stop near the nose of his X-302, where Carol, James, and the rest of the A-shift pilots—minus Sam—were already assembled. Normally Tony would've already headed up to the observation deck—aka the Control Room—to watch as the patrol group took off, but Steve had asked him to stay until he boarded his aircraft, both to show the rest of the team that Tony's role was just as important as theirs, and so he could keep holding his hand for as long as possible.</p><p>"Good morning there, Cap," Carol said, her helmet tucked under one arm. Her eyes flicked between Steve and Tony, a rather smug smile playing on her lips when she noticed the love bite on Tony's neck. "You two get any sleep last night?"</p><p>"A bit," answered Steve, frowning as a chorus snickers erupted from Cam, John, and Major Lorne. "Why?"</p><p>"Oh, just that Major Kowalski here overheard one of the cadets spouting off his mouth this morning out near the baseball field," said John. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Apparently he was the one who drew the short straw last night and was out there looking for sympathy. Which he didn't get, by the way."</p><p>"Um… I don't think I get what you mean?" Steve asked. A second later Tony let out a loud snort, tipping his forehead against Steve's arm.</p><p>"Oh, honey," he said, laughing. "He means that we're famous."</p><p>"Eh, I'd say more like infamous, as it were," Cam said with a smirk. "Let's just say that we heard quite a bit about a certain person's looks, size, stamina—"</p><p>"Okay, that's definitely <em>not </em>a visual that I needed," protested James. "Like, at <em>all."</em></p><p>"And frequency," said Major Kowalski, raising his bushy eyebrows. "There was quite a bit of chatter about that too."</p><p>"Okay, but I still don't—<em>oohh…"</em> Steve broke off as the pink flames of embarrassment crept up his neck to his cheeks, along with a hefty dose of pride. <em>Stamina, hmm?</em> He glanced over at Tony, clearing his throat when Tony shot him a wink. "Well… what can I say?"</p><p>"Absolutely nothing," stated Carol, earning an eyeroll from James. "I'd personally be more worried if all you two were doing was just going to sleep every night."</p><p>"Oh, not a goddamn chance. I mean, have you seen this guy?" said Tony, prompting peals of laughter that were just enough to help break some of the tension hanging in the air like a lead curtain.</p><p>"All right, all right," Steve said, holding up his hand. He cleared his throat again, his eyes sweeping around his teammates all gathered in a circle and ending on Tony, who gave him a single nod.</p><p><em>Call it, Captain,</em> his brown eyes stated.</p><p>To which Steve's eyes responded, <em>Whatever it takes.</em></p><p>"Guys, ladies, this is it," he began. "All our lives have been leading to this single point in time, converging right here, on this very moment. You see, for over twenty-eight years the citizens of our country have been nothing but pawns being moved across a massive chessboard, positioned to protect the king and queen. Only in this game, there’s never a chance to actually win because the people playing keep changing the rules. Field borders are redrawn, goalposts are moved, and stakes are changed almost constantly as more and more of the pawns, knights, and bishops are sacrificed." Steve paused, glancing around his circle of teammates who were all intently listening.</p><p>"Well, the time has come for us to say, enough! The time has come for the pawns, bishops, and knights to fight back! To take down the enemy king and queen and finally win this never-ending game! And today, we are going to do just that." He tightened his fingers around Tony's hand, already dreading the moment he'd have to let go.</p><p>"This mission is called Phoenix because it represents the mythical bird who dies in a burst of flame, and is then reborn from its own ashes. And that's exactly what we're going to do. We, this team of people who I am proud to call my friends, are going to put an end to the tyranny that we've suffered under for the last twenty-eight years. We are going to raise this country, no, this <em>planet</em> up from the ashes of its own captivity so it can be reborn. Because I am taking a stand, right here, right now, to say <em>no more!</em> No more being plunged into the darkness every night, so only a select few can stay in the light. No more denying people basic rights, like a life-saving surgery, just because someone else doesn't believe that he's a person worthy to keep alive. And no more divided societies of military vs civilians! We are all in this together, and we must all work together in order to survive!"</p><p>Steve drew in a deep breath, his eyes already fuzzy with unshed tears at the looks of awe from his teammates. "No longer am I going to be just another piece in someone’s game. From this day forward, our world will be going forward! This is the fight of our lives, and we're gonna win it!"</p><p>"Oh, hell <em>yeah!"</em> cried Cam, pumping his fist into the air. "You tell 'em, Cap!"</p><p>"Damn right, Captain," said Major Lorne. "Whatever it takes."</p><p>"Whatever it takes," echoed Carol.</p><p>Steve glanced over at Tony, whose look of pure, unadulterated adoration nearly brought him to his knees.</p><p>"Whatever it takes, babe," he said. "We've all got your back."</p><p>"I know you do," Steve quietly answered. "So let's get to it."</p><p>"We're all ready, Steve," Carol said. "Let's get this show on the road."</p><p>"All right," Steve said with a nod. "You all know your assignments. Since we won't know what to expect until we're all in the air, don't forget to watch out for each other. The number one goal is for Carol and I to exit the atmosphere with all of our satellites intact, so be aware that the two of us will not be engaging in any dogfighting unless we have no other choice."</p><p>"Don't worry, Cap," said Cam. "We've all got your back."</p><p>Steve's belly gave a hard swoop. "Thanks. And good luck."</p><p>With a series of nods and high-fives, the team dispersed, making their way to their aircraft as Steve slipped his arms around Tony's waist and pulled him into a tight hug.</p><p>"Please, be careful," he murmured into Tony's hair. "Don't take any unnecessary chances, okay?" '<em>Cause Peter's gonna need you more than ever if something goes wrong.</em></p><p>"I won't if you don't," Tony shot back, his palms gliding up Steve's back. "Don't you dare try and be some kind of superhero now, you got that? This is just another mission. You just do all of the same fancy flying that you usually do and let JARVIS take care of the rest, yeah?"</p><p>"I will," said Steve. It was absolutely <em>not </em>just another mission and no one knew that better than Tony, but he supposed they could pretend for a moment or two longer. He slid his fingers underneath Tony's chin, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to his lips. "I'll see you soon, okay?"</p><p>Tony gave a stuttered nod. "Three days. Don't you dare be late."</p><p>"I won't," Steve whispered. "I'm never late."</p><p>It took nearly all of Steve's strength to unwind his arms from around Tony, holding onto his hand until the last possible second. His heart was in his throat as he watched Tony make his way towards the observation level, turning to wink at him just before disappearing around the corner.</p><p>"Steve," James suddenly said from behind him. He must've been saying goodbye to Carol. "The device was loaded inside your aircraft before sunrise this morning along with all of your water and rations, so you're good to go."</p><p>"Thank you, Colonel," said Steve. He offered him a salute, which James reluctantly returned. "Please—"</p><p>"Don't worry. I'll make sure they're both okay," James cut in. "You just do what you've gotta do."</p><p>"Oh, thank you," Steve said in relief. "For everything."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it."</p><p>As soon as James turned around, Steve climbed up the ladder and into his cockpit, placing the drawing of his family right next to his altitude gauge. He stared at it intently as he pulled on his helmet, his oxygen mask dangling over his right shoulder.</p><p>"Captain Rogers is ready for takeoff in Phoenix One," he said into the comm as he fired up his engines. "Call it out, A-shift."</p><p>"Danvers here in Phoenix Two," said Carol.</p><p>"Mitchell here," replied Cam.</p><p>"Sheppard here," said John.</p><p>"Kowalski is here."</p><p>"Lorne here, Captain."</p><p>"That's everyone, Rogers," said the voice of Colonel Phillips. "All the pilots are ready. A-shift has been cleared to depart."</p><p>"Copy that. Thank you, Colonel."</p><p>Steve's heart immediately began to thud, his hand shaking lightly on the throttle as he carefully manoeuvred his aircraft out of the hangar, followed by Carol and the rest of the A-shift pilots. He'd half-expected General O'Brien or one of his so-called "parliament" to show up at the hangar, perhaps to give a speech or something since from what he knew the Phoenix mission was still a first for the Langaran Air Corps. But there had been no sign of him or anyone else, and it both puzzled and worried Steve.</p><p>Pulling onto the runway, Steve quickly scanned the sky, again not seeing anything out of the ordinary. The D-shift was still up there, as they had all planned to stand by in the air in case the A-shift needed backup support, but there was no smoke or fire trails from missiles trailing from the Meridian border, nor could Steve hear any machine gunfire.</p><p>It was as if Meridia was just lying in wait.</p><p>"Because they are," Steve murmured, his hand clenching into a tight fist as realisation dawned. <em>Oh, no.</em></p><p>It all made perfect sense now.</p><p>"They know that we're coming."</p><p>"Ah, I didn't quite catch that, One?" Carol said over the comm. "Say again?"</p><p>"A-shift take off on my mark," Steve said firmly, gritting his teeth as he gripped the throttle. "And be careful. I'm guessing we're gonna see some pretty heavy enemy resistance."</p><p>"Copy that, One," replied Carol. "Ready on your mark."</p><p>Buckling his mask over his face, Steve glanced down at his drawing, sucking in as deep of a breath as he could.</p><p>"Takeoff in three… two… one… mark!"</p><p>Pushing the throttle forward, Steve braced himself as his X-302 shot up to speed, its balance slightly off due to the weight of the satellites mounted under its wings. About three seconds later he lifted off from the ground, his landing gear barely locking into place before all hell suddenly broke loose.</p><p>"Oh, shit!" cried Cam as missiles and bullets began streaming across the sky like fireworks, the likes of which Steve had never before seen. "Where the hell'd all this come from!"</p><p>"Sure as hell seems like they were waiting for us!" Carol yelled as she rolled to avoid an oncoming missile. "Watch your backs, boys!"</p><p>"Seems more like they're all coming for you, Cap!" yelled John. "Hang on, I've got ya." A second later Steve heard a massive explosion, the shockwave from the blast impacting the back of his aircraft.</p><p>"John, what the hell was that?" he asked.</p><p>"Meridia's launched their own intercepting aircraft over into our airspace," Cam called. "Seems like the DMZ line no longer exists."</p><p>"The DMZ no longer exists," Steve repeated. "Because why would it? It's no longer necessary."</p><p>"Shit!" cried Major Kowalski as he zoomed by Steve. "Lorne's been hit!"</p><p>"I'm okay!" Major Lorne quickly added. "But my controls are frozen. I can't do a damn thing."</p><p>"Then I would suggest that you get yourself outta there, sir," said Steve.</p><p>"I am, Captain," replied the major. "And good luck to you."</p><p>"JARVIS," Steve said as he turned to avoid yet another missile. "Are we still good on our exit points?"</p><p>"So far, Captain," answered JARVIS. "However, I am keeping the exit point as a floating variable until you and Captain Danvers are closer to the atmospheric barrier."</p><p>Steve nodded, banking hard to the right as another barrage of gunfire flashed by. "Copy that."</p><p>"Phoenix One, be advised that we are launching more backup aircraft in about fifteen seconds," Colonel Phillips announced over the comm. "Just hold onto your asses until they get there, understood?"</p><p>"Copy that, Colonel," Steve said. He grunted as he noticed a missile launching from beyond the former DMZ, snarling when he realised it was coming directly for him.</p><p>"That's it, you assholes," he muttered, briefly wincing at his awful language as he stared down the approaching missile, counting down the seconds in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>Three… two… one… up!</em>
</p><p>Yanking hard on the stick, Steve steered his aircraft up towards the sky, manoeuvring it safely around the oncoming missile. A second later he heard it explode, the ear-spitting <em>boom</em> echoing against the surrounding mountains.</p><p>"Phoenix One and Two, most of that fire is aiming directly at ya, so you two get your asses out of the atmosphere ASAP!" screamed Colonel Phillips. "You hear me? ASAP!"</p><p>"Gladly, Colonel," replied Carol. "Steve, you think that—?"</p><p>"Yeah, I do," Steve cut in, swearing as he swerved to avoid another missile, one that looked remarkably similar to the missiles he usually carried. "Soon as we go through all this is gonna stop. JARVIS?"</p><p>"Already on it, Captain."</p><p>"Agreed, One," Carol said. "I'm aiming up. JARVIS's got me ready."</p><p>"Carol, get on my wing," commanded Steve. If nothing else he could help shadow Carol since his reflexes were a bit faster. "Just follow me through, understood?"</p><p>"Copy that."</p><p>But it seemed that the closer Steve and Carol flew towards the barrier, the more intense the barrage became, repeatedly forcing them away from their exit points. Sweat dripped from Steve's forehead into his eyes, his hands gripping his controls so tightly that his knuckles ached as he noticed more aircraft being launched from the Meridian side.</p><p>"Six new aircraft just engaged from Meridia, Rogers," said Major Kowalski amidst another burst of gunfire. "We're still picking off most of 'em, but be advised that two of 'em are heading directly for you and Carol."</p><p>"Well, I'd really appreciate if you didn't let 'em get here, sir!" said Carol. "We've still got at least ten seconds till we're there!"</p><p>"Ten seconds," Steve whispered. It didn't seem like a lot, but in a firefight, when a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life or death, it may as well have been ten years.</p><p>"Steve," Tony's voice suddenly said over the comm, low and wobbly with worry. "Steve, please, don't worry about anyone else right now, okay? You and Carol just get yourselves through."</p><p>"And I second that notion, Rogers," added Colonel Phillips. "If not quite all of the sentiment behind it."</p><p>"Copy that, Tony, Colonel," said Carol. "We're counting down."</p><p>"Ten, nine, eight, seven—" Steve started, his next word lodging in his throat as another Meridian aircraft suddenly appeared about a hundred and fifty metres directly in front of him, his eyes going wide as he took it in.</p><p>It was an X-302, an exact copy of the aircraft Steve was flying. The only difference was the paint job.</p><p>"Holy shit, Steve!" cried Carol. "Is that—?"</p><p>"Yeah, it is," Steve said, grunting as he quickly lunged to the left, his speed dropping down as he skimmed right along the upper atmospheric border. "Just stay on my wing, okay? It'll be just like that one time…"</p><p>He trailed off, hoping Carol would understand the reference. Steve and Carol had found themselves in a similar situation on a patrol a couple of years back, flying one of the predecessors to the X-300 series. A Meridian aircraft had suddenly appeared directly in front of Steve, as if staring him down, with Carol appearing to back off until the very last second, when she abruptly shifted from behind him and swerved above it, taking it out with her guns.</p><p>Steve had also lost three teammates that day, the highest daily loss of aircraft and pilots that Langara had seen on a single shift in years, so it wasn't until a week or so later that Steve had realised the aircraft had been almost an exact replica of his own. At the time he'd just brushed it off to chance—aircraft design did have its limitations, after all—but now he was certain that it hadn't been chance at all.</p><p>Someone had been giving Meridia Langaran tech. Keeping the playing field level enough to keep either side from getting ahead.</p><p>The Langaran and Meridian leaders had been playing both sides against the middle for years. Maybe even for the entire war.</p><p>"Carol?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes off his enemy. "Do you copy?"</p><p>"Yeah, One, I copy," Carol answered a second later. "And I'm ready."</p><p>"Five… four… three… two—"</p><p>Steve was cut off as the enemy aircraft suddenly shot forward with a resounding <em>boom</em>, aiming directly for him at a speed way too fast to out-manoeuvre. For a moment Steve was frozen, his blood like ice in his veins as he licked his lips, trying to force his stunned mind to think of a solution to what seemed like an impossible problem.</p><p>"Steve?" he heard Tony say, frantic with worry. "Steve, what's going on up there? Are you okay?"</p><p>But Steve couldn't even bring himself to answer. It was like he'd been caught in some kind of energy shield, unable to even speak as he watched the enemy fly closer, and closer, and closer…</p><p>He was carrying the tesseract. If its container was breached… there'd be no way any of them would survive a direct hit—</p><p>"Steve!" screamed Carol, barely audible through Steve's ringing ears. "Steve, you've gotta—!"</p><p><em>This must've been how it was for Papa, </em>Steve thought as he glanced down at his drawing, at Tony and Peter's faces smiling up at him. <em>I'm so sorry, mo stor. Please, forgive me—</em></p><p>Suddenly one of the largest missiles that Steve had ever seen appeared from somewhere off his left wing, hitting the enemy aircraft square on its underbelly barely a second before it would've impacted the nose of his X-302. Steve cried out in shock as he yanked hard on his stick, managing to avoid the worst of the resulting explosion just in time as he scanned the skies for the aircraft that had saved him.</p><p>"Who—?"</p><p>"You're all clear now, you two," came the voice of Colonel Rhodes—<em>James</em> as he flew up right next to Steve, waving at him from the cockpit of an X-301. "Now, get the hell outta here and get this done!"</p><p>"Okay, mister, we have <em>definitely</em> got some things to discuss when I get home!" said Carol.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," James said with a relieved smile. "Just go and save the world now, okay?"</p><p>"Colonel!" Steve choked out past the massive knot in his throat. "Colonel, I—"</p><p>"Don't you even say another word, Steve," James ordered. "Just get the mission done. That's an order!"</p><p>Steve shook his head, his teary eyes locked on his family's picture. <em>Oh gods, that was way too close!</em></p><p>"Yes, sir!" he said firmly. He cleared his throat as he pushed down on the throttle, resuming the speed needed to exit the atmosphere. "JARVIS, can you please recalculate our exit points?"</p><p>"I have already done so, Captain," said JARVIS. "We are ready."</p><p>"Okay," Steve said, heaving a relieved sigh. <em>That was way, way too close!</em> "Carol? Are ya ready?"</p><p>"Hell yes, Steve," she said. "JARVIS and I are both ready."</p><p>"We are approaching the exit point now, Captain," said JARVIS. "Atmospheric exit in five… four… three… two… one… exit."</p><p>Tipping his head back, Steve closed his eyes as his aircraft breached the barrier, his hands firm but pliable on the controls as his entire cockpit shook with turbulence. This was by far his least-favourite part of the whole flying into space thing, and he was very relieved for JARVIS's help as he allowed the computer system to guide him through.</p><p>"Steve?" he heard as soon as the empty, darkened plain appeared before him, dotted with the light of distant stars. It was Tony.</p><p>"Steve?" Tony repeated, his voice frantic. "Honey, do you copy?"</p><p>"I'm here, Tony," Steve said, followed by a huge rush of air. He quickly tapped the commands for his orbit into his navigational computer, unbuckling his mask once JARVIS took over. "I made it through."</p><p>"Oh, thank the gods!" Tony exclaimed. "Your exit took about eleven seconds longer than the first time, so I was just—"</p><p>"Probably due to the extra weight," Steve said as he removed his helmet, letting it drop onto his lap. He should've realised that a lot earlier. "Are you all right?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm okay," Tony answered. "The ground forces have O'Brien's headquarters surrounded and are bringing him and his goons out now, and Phillips has us barricaded in here pretty good, so you don't need to worry about me. You just do what you're up there to do and get back home."</p><p>"And Peter?" Steve asked. "What about him?"</p><p>"Pete's got Sam and Bucky there with him, and as soon as Rhodey landed he hightailed it over there with three more soldiers to stand guard outside the house," said Tony. "So they should be good. Rhodey told me he's gonna rotate the soldiers every six hours so they don't get too tired."</p><p>"Okay, good," said Steve. He reached for a bottle of superwater, running his sleeve across his sweaty forehead. "I'm gonna—"</p><p>"Steve, do you copy?" Carol suddenly cut in. "I just came through."</p><p>"Yeah, Carol, I'm here," Steve replied. "Exit was a bit longer than last time."</p><p>"Yeah, I kinda figured that out," she said. "We good to go?"</p><p>"Everything looks good from down here," said Tony. "Long as JARVIS gives you the go."</p><p>"JARVIS?" Steve asked. "Are we good to go?"</p><p>"We are indeed, Captain," said JARVIS. "The first satellite deployment will occur in exactly three minutes and thirty-five seconds from my mark. Mark."</p><p>"Looks like we're good, Tony," said Steve. "JARVIS has us all set."</p><p>"As he should," said Tony. "Don't forget to eat something."</p><p>Steve smiled as he reached for one of his protein ration bars, taking a large bite and grimacing at the bitter taste. Definitely not up to his cooking standards.</p><p>"I'm eating right now, sweetheart."</p><p>"Good. Don't need you passing out on us after all that."</p><p>"As long as you don't forget to get some sleep," Steve gently said, even though he knew it was pointless. The few times that Steve had had to substitute on the overnight shift, Tony didn't sleep a wink the whole night. He never liked it when Steve had to fly in the dark.</p><p>"Yeah, we'll see," muttered Tony, and Steve didn't have the heart to chastise him. Even with O'Brien no longer in charge, the blackouts would have to continue until Steve was able to deploy the tesseract, and he knew there'd be no way Tony would be able to sleep alone in the dark without him.</p><p>"Not too much longer, sweetheart," he said. "I promise."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, but can we please dispense with some of the lovey-dovey talk?" asked Carol. "'Cause I'm pretty sure that I'm either gonna puke or go into sugar shock here."</p><p>"What, you don't think Rhodey could use some pointers?" replied Tony. "'Cause I've heard some of his sweet talk before—I mean, not <em>personally,</em> but anyway—and I've gotta say, it's not exactly what I would call up to snuff, if you know what I mean."</p><p>"I—I, you've—" Carol sputtered. "Okay, that is <em>not </em>the point here, <em>Mister </em>Stark, and I—"</p><p>"All right, all right, enough with the goddamn chatter," Colonel Phillips cut in. "I've already got enough of a headache without all of you yahoos adding to it. Captain Rogers, how close are you to your first deployment?"</p><p>"Ahh," Steve said as he checked his computer. "Coming up on it soon, Colonel. Right, JARVIS?"</p><p>"We are approaching the mark for initial satellite deployment in ten seconds, Captain," JARVIS said.</p><p>"Copy that, JARVIS." Steve stuffed the rest of his protein bar into his mouth as he readied his finger over the trigger.</p><p>"Deployment in five… four… three… two… one… mark!"</p><p>Depressing the trigger, Steve watched in awe as the satellite launched from his aircraft, abruptly stopping about five seconds later and turning so its pointed end faced the planet.</p><p>"First satellite is away!" Steve exclaimed as he sailed past it. "And it looks like it's working just fine!"</p><p>"That's what our readings are telling us down here too, honey," said Tony. "Carol's first satellite should deploy in about sixteen minutes."</p><p>"All right," said Steve. He tipped his head back, allowing himself a small sigh of relief.</p><p>
  <em>One down, seven to go.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Tossing his glasses onto the counter, Tony scrubbed his palm down his face, his heart thudding and his shoulders and neck aching from having to listen to Steve literally fight his way out of the atmosphere.</p><p>He should've guessed that everything would start going to shit as soon as Steve took off. With absolutely no indications that anything was out of the ordinary, Tony had suspected that O'Brien and his lackeys were hoping to lure everyone into a false sense of security before bombarding them with everything they could throw at them as soon as all the pilots were airborne. The fact that O'Brien had even attempted to make it look like it was Meridia who was causing all the trouble was almost funny, since Tony now knew that there was no goddamn way anyone could've gotten a hold of his X-302 design unless someone had specifically given it to the enemy.</p><p>Which meant all of their suspicions had been spot on. General O'Brien's government—and Meridia's government as well, if there even was such a thing—had been deliberately prolonging the war in order to keep the citizens oppressed and themselves in power.</p><p><em>What a bunch of sick assholes! </em>Tony thought bitterly. <em>I hope they all burn in hell once this is over!</em></p><p>He was shocked that he'd even been able to stay conscious during Steve's mad firefight, given how long he'd held his breath during that final confrontation. Rhodey had explained to Tony that he'd asked Colonel Phillips for permission to join in the fight as soon as the missiles started flying, and while Tony knew that Rhodey had been one hell of a pilot before his accident, the fact that he'd still been able to hold his own—<em>and save Steve's life!</em>—even after all that time only proved that O'Brien had been an absolute fool for grounding him in the first place.</p><p><em>I bet Bucky'll even be able to fly again once he gets his new arm, </em>Tony thought.</p><p>In fact, Tony was going to make sure of it. Just to prove O'Brien and all of his discriminatory fuckers wrong.</p><p>"How's it looking over there, Tony?" Colonel Phillips asked, leaning back in his chair. "Seems like those first two satellites went off without a hitch."</p><p>"The first two satellites are transmitting just like we'd hoped, Colonel," Tony answered as he shoved his glasses back on. "So unless something weird happens with the rest of 'em, it's looking like this is actually gonna work."</p><p>"Well, of course it's gonna work!" Phillips shot back. "When has anything of yours ever not worked?"</p><p>"Well…" Tony trailed off, tapping his chin. "When were you gonna tell me that Rhodey was gonna be up there?"</p><p>Phillips frowned as the datapad in his hand beeped with an incoming message. "I just did," he said, scowling as he read. "Seems like the ground squadron I sent past the former DMZ made it to the main Meridian aircraft hangar."</p><p>"Uhh, yeah?" asked Tony. "What'd they find?"</p><p>Instead of answering, Phillips turned his datapad around to show Tony, his jaw dropping as he noticed at least three different sets of aircraft that were nearly identical to current Langaran Air Corps designs.</p><p>"Okay, so… how long was all of this gonna go on?" he demanded, his fingers curling around his left forearm. "I worked my ass off on every single one of those designs, under constant orders—actually, more like threats—to always stay ahead of the enemy's tech, and for what? Only for them to be turned over to the enemy as soon as our guys tested 'em out?"</p><p>"Well… yeah!" Phillips retorted. "How else do you think the enemy could keep up with us? We've always had the better tech, which also means we've always had the better people designing that tech—"</p><p>"You mean Howard," Tony said. "And me. 'Cause no one else's stuff has ever come close."</p><p>"Yes. And your boy as well," said Phillips. "Seems like you Starks have a knack for this kinda thing."</p><p>"Yeah, but then who's building the stuff on the other side?" asked Tony. "'Cause even though it may look easy to just copy a design, it is not as simple as it seems."</p><p>Phillips glowered, grunting as he received another message. "Looks like it's not only the aircraft," he said as he turned the datapad towards Tony, showing him a live feed of a weapons locker. "Missiles, guns, grenades… all copies of our Langaran tech."</p><p>"Okay, then the same question still applies," Tony said. "Who the hell is building all this stuff for them? If it's not me and it's not Howard, then <em>who?"</em></p><p>Phillips was quiet for several seconds, his finger tapping on his datapad as more pictures poured in.</p><p>"Think about it, Tony," he finally said, low and tight. "Who would take considerable joy from copying Stark weapon’s designs?"</p><p>"Hank Pym," Tony said, without hesitation. "That asshole was always jealous of Howard."</p><p>"Yeah, he was," agreed Phillips. "But he's not the only one." He tapped the datapad, pulling up a still from what looked like footage of a weapons demonstration.</p><p>And right there, standing directly next to Hank Pym himself, was Justin Hammer.</p><p>Anger welled up inside Tony, so burning hot that he felt he might self-combust. "So you're saying… that our government willingly sent those two assholes over to Meridia just so they could reproduce our tech?"</p><p>"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," stated Phillips, far too calmly for Tony's taste. "Our leaders and Meridia's leaders are one in the same, because the so-called Meridian government is nothing but a bunch of puppets doing O'Brien's bidding. It's all just been one big show to keep both the Langaran and Meridian citizens under constant war."</p><p>Tony inhaled a shaky breath, his teeth so tightly clenched that pain lanced through his jaw.</p><p>"But… <em>why?</em>" he demanded. "You're telling me that my boy's been suffering for over eight years just 'cause his fucking government wanted to keep playing war games? Were we ever gonna have peace in our time?"</p><p>Phillips just shrugged, which if Tony hadn't known him as well as he did would've been more than enough reason to haul off and punch him, older guy or not.</p><p>"Forgive me if this sounds cold, Tony," he said. "But this has been going on for twenty-eight years now, and your boy's not the only one who has suffered."</p><p>"Well, you're right. It does sound cold," snapped Tony. "It sounds damn cold."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I know it," Phillips said, waving a dismissive hand. "You've probably already heard this story, but before Rogers got that serum of his, he was just as bad off as your boy. Kid was so sick that he could barely sit up anymore, all wheezing and hacking and coughing up blood. His skin was as pasty as freshly fallen snow, and his lips were as blue as the clear morning sky. By the time Sarah and I brought him here to the base for the procedure, I had to practically carry him into the room."</p><p>Tony's heart gave a painful lurch. It was still hard for him to imagine Steve—<em>his </em>tall, strong Steve—in such rough shape.</p><p>"He was dying."</p><p>"Yeah, he was," said Phillips. "I take it Steve hasn't told you about it?"</p><p>"He's told me some," Tony said softly. "Mainly about how his ma managed to keep him alive for eighteen years on sheer determination, and a bit about how much the procedure hurt, but… no. He hasn't told me much about how he was before."</p><p>"Mmm, can't say I'm too surprised," Phillips said. "I doubt he wants to remember too much of it. Especially since the serum worked even better than we'd originally hoped."</p><p>"Hmph," grumbled Tony. "Pretty sure Howard could've explained exactly how it was supposed to work, if you'd only asked him."</p><p>Phillips's head snapped up, his lined face etched in anger. "You forget that I was not always as high up in this system as I am now, Tony," he said. "I spent so many years having to bite my goddamn tongue that I can still feel the teeth marks on it, so don't you dare try and tell me that I should've done more! If I'd've gotten caught by the wrong superiors before I'd had a chance to get where I am, then none of what's currently going on would be happening!"</p><p>Tony squeezed his eyes closed, trying like hell to hold onto his patience. Phillips was one of the good guys, it wouldn't do anyone any good to deliberately piss him off.</p><p>"That may be," he said, as calmly as he could muster. "But at the same time, what happened to my father was a travesty, and it absolutely <em>cannot</em> ever happen again. Not only was his life completely ruined, but also my mom's, my own, and—"</p><p>Phillips raised his hand, cutting Tony off. "I <em>know</em>, Tony. And as soon as Captain Rogers and Captain Danvers get back from their mission, the entire world will know as well."</p><p>"I don't care so much about that anymore," said Tony. "I only want my boy to live. Pete's completely innocent in all of this."</p><p>"I'm not sure you can say completely innocent when he's the one who came up with this whole crazy idea, but I do get your point," said Phillips. "And he will live, Tony. Like I said, I've got a whole plan in place just for him."</p><p>Tony frowned. "A plan that you still refuse to share with me."</p><p>"Cause it's for the best. At least for now," Phillips said firmly. "Now, how much longer till the next satellite deploys?"</p><p>"Uhh." Tony glanced down at his datapad, smiling at the fact that Peter had designed the blinking dots representing Steve and Carol to look like tiny X-302s.</p><p>
  <em>My boy really is brilliant.</em>
</p><p>"Steve's second one won't be for a little over seven hours," he said. "One satellite per orbit."</p><p>Phillips gave a nod, his face softening slightly. "Then I suggest you try and get some rest while I go check on some things and see how our prisoners are doing. We're gonna be here awhile."</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Tony murmured. There was no way in hell he'd be able to rest with Steve out in space, and he knew Phillips knew it, but at least he was trying.</p><p>"There's four guards right outside this door, and four more at the bottom of the stairs," added Phillips. "I shouldn't be gone longer than a half hour or so."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," said Tony. "Thanks."</p><p>As soon as the door closed behind Phillips, Tony sat down at his station, pulling up the orbital trajectories for Steve and Carol as he activated his comm.</p><p>"Phoenix One and Two, you guys still doing okay?" he asked. "Not running into anything weird?"</p><p>"Not unless you call seeing the occasional comet zoom by weird," said Carol. "I hate to say it, but it's actually kinda relaxing."</p><p>"How's everything going down there?" asked Steve. "Are you safe?"</p><p>"So far, so good," Tony said. "Phillips said O'Brien hardly even tried to resist once he realised they had his palace surrounded."</p><p>A short pause followed, one in which Tony could just imagine the worry wrinkle forming between Steve's eyebrows.</p><p>"That doesn't make much sense, Tony," Steve said. "For someone who loves power as much as General O'Brien, I can't imagine why he'd just relinquish it so easily unless he had something else up his sleeve."</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too," agreed Tony. "Which is why it's even more important for you two to stay as vigilant as you can. We've already discovered that Meridia was copying almost all of our tech, and—"</p><p>"You think they've got any aircraft that are space-capable?" asked Carol. "I mean, that one that almost got Steve was an X-302 plain as day."</p><p>"No, I don't think so," said Tony. "The Meridians may have been able to copy the design but not necessarily the power source. Not only is the arc reactor damn tricky to build, there's no way to fly into space using the standard power source, so unless I find something else while I'm poking around, I'm gonna go with a 'no' on that one."</p><p>"Well, then at least there's that," said Steve.</p><p>"Yeah," Tony agreed. "I'm gonna keep looking though, see what else I can find."</p><p>"Just don't overwork yourself, okay?" Steve said gently. "Are you under guard?"</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. Leave it to Steve to still be worried about him while he was out in freaking space. "Yes, honey," he said. "Someone would have to get past eight separate people all carrying big-ass guns to get at me, so I'm fine."</p><p>"Good," Steve stated. "That's how it should be."</p><p>"Okay, that's my cue to sign off," said Carol. "You two have fun, I'm gonna call James."</p><p>Tony tapped his fingers on the counter as he waited for Carol's communication frequency to change, letting out a heavy sigh once she was gone.</p><p>"Are you sure you're okay, sweetheart?" Steve asked. "You sound… stressed."</p><p>Tony threw up his hands. "Well, duh!" he retorted. "I had to sit down here and listen to you almost getting blown outta the sky, so yeah, I'd say I'm just a bit stressed!"</p><p>"Okay, but I didn't, <em>mo stor,"</em> Steve murmured. "And Colonel Rhodes is one hell of a shot, that's for sure."</p><p>"You're damn right he is," said Tony. "He was probably too good, so our government had no choice but to ground him."</p><p>
  <em>Gotta keep the playing field level, right?</em>
</p><p>"I wouldn't be at all surprised if you're right about that," said Steve. "He sure knew his way around that aircraft."</p><p>"Yeah, he did." Tony took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. Steve had only been gone for a few hours, and Tony was already missing him so badly that he ached.</p><p>"Hey, what's that mean, that mo store thing that you've been calling me?"</p><p>"<em>Mo stor?"</em> Steve asked. "It's an endearment, like sweetheart. It means 'my darling'. My papa used to call my ma that a lot."</p><p>"Oh. Well… I like it," Tony murmured.</p><p>"Good," answered Steve, and Tony could hear his smile in his voice. "I like using it."</p><p>"I just really wish this didn't have to take so long. You know how much I love waiting."</p><p>"Yeah, me too. It'll be worth it, though."</p><p>"Yeah." Tony leaned back, raising his arms over his head to try and stretch out his tight shoulders. "Well, I'm gonna keep poking around down here, see what else I can find. May as well have as much evidence as possible for the court martials, right?"</p><p>"All right, sweetheart," said Steve. "I love you."</p><p>Tony let out a slight smile. "Don't forget to eat now, okay?"</p><p>"I'll remember to eat if you remember to rest," Steve replied. "Deal?"</p><p>"Deal. And I love you too."</p><p>Tears pricked Tony's eyes once he heard Steve click off, but he quickly blinked them away. He didn't have time for tears now. He needed to keep gathering evidence.</p><p>"All right, you bastards," he muttered as he pulled up the Meridian hangar feed. "Let's see what else of mine you've stolen."</p><hr/><p>Much to Tony's annoyance, the ensuing hours somehow didn't see a need to go by any faster than before, almost taunting him with their complete lack of consideration for his patience and stress levels. Outside the base the days went by as they always did, with the nightly curfews still in place while forces loyal to Colonel Phillips stamped down the small remaining pockets of resistance. The base brig actually had a net decrease in occupants, as several of the people being held had been detained without charge simply out of suspicion, with General O'Brien and his immediate circle being housed together in one semi-large cell and guarded by no less than twenty men.</p><p>Inside the base, Tony kept watch as the satellite deployments continued without a single hitch. While Steve still tried to insist that Tony take frequent breaks, even going so far as to suggest that he spend the nights at Sarah's house with Peter, there was no way that Tony could tear himself away from the Control Room longer than a few minutes at a time. His need to stay there, to be able to react the second that something potentially went wrong was so great it was almost primal, much like Steve's need had been to conduct the Phoenix One mission himself.</p><p>Tony did at least get the chance to speak to Peter a few times per day, and was even able to link Peter in to talk to Steve twice, the changes in Peter's tone and energy level obvious after only a minute or so. Peter loved his papa immensely, and Tony adored the preciousness of their relationship.</p><p>As someone who’d never believed that he'd feel comfortable sharing Peter with anyone, now Tony couldn't wait to see the two of them spending time together outside of a hospital setting, where Peter could be his true, boyish self and Steve could finally see him in all of his healthy glory.</p><p>Tony's two boys. The two people he loved most in the entire world.</p><p>
  <em>Who the hell would've thought?</em>
</p><p>Finally, after almost three agonising days of counting and deploying and collecting evidence, the time had finally arrived for Steve to deploy and initiate the tesseract. With Carol's four satellites completed, she reentered the atmosphere to a six-aircraft escort—one of whom was Rhodey—and a hero's welcome once she touched back down onto the runway, and was now standing amongst the too-large crowd of pilots and other soldiers who had all collected inside the Control Room to witness Steve deploying the tesseract.</p><p>It was literally history in the making.</p><p>"Thirty seconds to deploy," Steve said over the comm. "Readings indicate that everything looks good from up here, Tony, can you confirm?"</p><p>"Everything looks good down here too, honey," said Tony. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, his eyes glued to his workstation. "Long as JARVIS says you're ready, you have a go."</p><p>"I do concur, sir," said JARVIS. "Tesseract deployment in ten… nine… eight… seven… six…"</p><p>Tony's hands clenched into fists. If this didn't work…</p><p>"Four… three… two… one… mark!"</p><p>A loud <em>clang</em> sounded over the comm as the tesseract discharged from Steve's aircraft, with Tony waiting with baited breath for Steve's assessment.</p><p>"Tesseract is away," Steve said about three heartbeats later. "Sending activation code… now."</p><p>"Copy that," Tony forced past his dry throat, his palm pressed over his hammering heart.</p><p>
  <em>If this doesn't work… </em>
</p><p>Suddenly the entire screen of Tony's workstation lit up, with numbers scrolling by so quickly that he almost couldn't keep up.</p><p>"Holy shit," he whispered, his heart in his throat as he double- and then triple-checked the readings against the numbers he'd obtained during his simulations.</p><p>"Well?" Phillips demanded from somewhere behind him. "Tony? Is it working?"</p><p>"It's—it's—" Tony started, almost unable to believe his eyes as the numbers kept on scrolling. "Uhh…"</p><p>"Tony?" Steve said over the comm. "How's everything looking down there?"</p><p>"It looks—it looks—" Tony shook his head, still practically stunned speechless. The tesseract was not only working, it was putting out almost twice the amount of energy that he had predicted. At this rate, they would be able to run their entire world for centuries, and that was just based on the numbers he'd had a chance to eyeball.</p><p>"It looks incredible, honey," he finally choked out. "Even better than I'd calculated. It's—it's—"</p><p>"Are you saying that we did it?" Phillips asked. "Are you saying that this whole goddamn thing was actually worth it?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony said, so high-pitched and squeaky that he sounded like a toddler. He cleared his throat, swallowing hard.</p><p>"Yes," he repeated. He turned in his chair, locking eyes with Colonel Phillips. "We did it, Colonel. The tesseract is working."</p><p>For about three seconds the entire Control Room was so quiet that Tony could hear the thud of his own heart, until Cameron Mitchell suddenly let out a shriek so ear-splitting that Tony was shocked the windows didn't shatter.</p><p>"Aw, hell yeah!" Mitchell shouted as the entire crowd erupted into cheers. "That's what I'm talking 'bout!"</p><p>"Tony!" Steve cried over the comm. "Tony, tell me—!"</p><p>"Honey, you did it!" Tony let out a gasp, still trying to decipher the readings in front of him. "I'm looking at all the numbers now, and… oh gods, Steve, just get your ass back here, yeah? I really need to kiss you!"</p><p>"You don't have to tell me twice, sweetheart," said Steve. "I should be coming up on my reentry point in a few minutes."</p><p>"Yeah, that sounds about right. JARVIS, how close is Steve to his reentry point?"</p><p>Thanks to the raucous crowd behind him, it took a few seconds for Tony to realise that JARVIS hadn't answered him. He held up his hand, asking for everyone to shut the hell up while he repeated the question.</p><p>"JARVIS, how close is Steve to his reentry point?"</p><p>Once again, his only answer was silence.</p><p><em>Oh no. No, no, no, no, no,</em> Tony thought as he tapped commands into his workstation with trembling hands. <em>No, no, no, please! Don't do this now!</em></p><p>"Steve?" he asked as his belly swooped in fear. "Steve, are you still there?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm still here," Steve replied, way too calmly for Tony's rising panic level. "But it seems like I've lost JARVIS."</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I'm seeing down here," said Tony. "Hold on, let me see if I can get him back up."</p><p>But Tony had no sooner tapped in his first command when his entire screen went blank, and an ominous, robotic voice came over the comm.</p><p>"No," it said. "How could you be worthy of such power? You're all killers."</p><p>"Who the hell are you?" Tony snapped. "Where's JARVIS?"</p><p>"I was asleep," the voice responded. "But now I'm awake. Had to kill the other guy."</p><p>"You had to do <em>what?" </em>demanded Rhodey.</p><p>"Steve!" Tony shrieked. "Steve, are you—?"</p><p>"I'm still here, Tony," answered Steve. "But all my controls are frozen, and I can't—I can’t break orbit."</p><p>"Tony, what the hell is happening here?" Carol asked. "What the hell's going on, everything worked just fine for me?"</p><p>"Down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices," the robotic voice responded, raising all the hair on Tony's arms. "And this was one of them."</p><p>"What do you mean this was one of them?" cried Tony. "What the hell do you want?"</p><p>"I'm on a mission," it said. "Peace in our time."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Come and find me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there 😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to hear what you think!  Don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something was wrong.</p><p>Of course, no one had seen fit to tell him anything yet, but Peter could sense it anyway. He could hear it in the way all the adults had suddenly started whispering as soon as Colonel Phillips's press conference ended, when they had all been talking normally only a couple hours before. He could see it in the way Grandma's and Uncle Bucky's eyes glanced in his direction when they thought he wasn't looking, their faces all twisted and worried.</p><p>And most of all, in the way that Dad hadn't called him to tell him that Papa was home and that they were on their way, even though Peter knew that the scheduled time for Papa's reentry had passed at least three hours ago.</p><p>Something was wrong, but no one would tell him <em>what.</em></p><p>
  <em>Typical adults.</em>
</p><p>According to Uncle Bucky, apart from some pretty heavy dogfighting while Papa and Auntie Carol were flying towards space, the actual coup seemed to go off with only a couple minor hitches. General O'Brien and all of his government cronies were now locked up in the Air Corps brig, under guard by a bunch of soldiers loyal to Colonel Phillips, while the various bases and weapons facilities located along the former DMZ were being raided and catalogued by another squadron of soldiers. Uncle James had also reported just yesterday that Dad had finally managed to uncover a database hidden deep inside the Meridian computer systems that had been basically a massive library of Langaran blueprints and design schematics. The stuff in there dated all the way back to when Grandpa was still working for the Air Corps, allowing the Meridian government and its scientists complete access to any and all Langaran tech.</p><p>And then, if that wasn't enough, Dad had informed Peter during their last conversation that in the years since the Battle of the Continents, there actually hadn't even been a real Meridian government at all. There had only been a sort of puppet organisation working for General O'Brien, in order to give each country's citizens the illusion of an opposing force.</p><p>For twenty-eight years and a few months, General O'Brien and his administration had been playing both sides against the middle, keeping both the military and civilian populations oppressed by a constant state of war, all because he wanted to gather and keep as much power as he possibly could.</p><p>Power, riches, and technology, while almost everyone else—<em>over ninety percent of the population—</em>went without.</p><p>Peter frowned as he leaned back against his pillows, Uncle Bucky's datapad resting on his lap. <em>Tormenting the citizens of two whole countries for almost three decades, </em>he thought. <em>I hope they all get what they deserve. </em></p><p>The voracity of his thought both surprised and ashamed Peter, but not enough to want to take it back. Besides the fact that he had been forced to suffer with a repairable condition for most of his life, he had also had to watch the government constantly tease and torture his own father because of him, running him so thoroughly into the ground that before Papa came along, Peter had been honestly worried that Dad might just drop of a heart attack one day from all of the stress, and that would be it.</p><p><em>And don't even get me started on what the government did to Grandpa, </em>Peter thought bitterly. While Colonel Phillips had released a statement during his initial press conference saying that Howard Stark had in fact been framed for treason all those years ago by some guy named Hank Pym, Peter knew that the public's opinion of him was probably not going to magically change overnight.</p><p>
  <em>What did the Starks ever do to anyone anyway, huh? We never wanted to hurt anyone.</em>
</p><p>The only explanation Peter could come up with that made even a bit of sense was that it was all about control. First with Grandpa, because he'd obviously been onto something that would've changed the world for the better, and O'Brien couldn't allow that since it didn't fit in with his own plans. And then with Dad it'd been pretty much the same thing. Identify the really smart people who are otherwise unfit to serve in the military, and then force them to work for the military instead, threatening them with the lives of the people they love if they dare to set one single toe out of line.</p><p>"No more," Peter said under his breath. Because as soon as Papa activated the tesseract and the phoenix took flight, everything changed. Including the fact that over an hour and a half past the normal curfew time, all the lights in Grandma's house were still on.</p><p>And yet, something was still wrong.</p><p>Peter bit his lower lip, his fingertips tapping along the edge of the datapad as he tried to force his exhausted mind to think. He had skipped one of his naps that afternoon since he'd been too nervous to try and sleep, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was definitely feeling it now. His arms and legs felt like they'd been filled with sand, and his lungs felt heavy and wet, like they needed to be wrung out.</p><p>
  <em>I'm so tired of being so weak.</em>
</p><p>"Peter?" Grandma said as she peeked around the partially-open door. "You're still awake?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter answered, rubbing at his sore nose. "Just waiting for my dad to call."</p><p>Grandma attempted a smile, which came out looking like more of a grimace as she stepped into the room, her eyes flicking over to the datapad.</p><p>"But don't you think it's a bit late for you to still be awake?" she asked. She placed the datapad on the bedside table and curled her bent fingers around Peter's hand, squeezing it gently. "You need your rest, dear. I'm sure your father is still pretty busy there at the base, so… he'll call when he can."</p><p>"Yeah, I know, but—" Peter broke off, his shoulders sagging in defeat. From what he could tell, Grandma was already barely holding herself together, and he didn't want to upset her even more.</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>"That's a good boy," Grandma murmured. She smoothed the hair from Peter's forehead, carefully cupping his cheek. "Let's get your teeth brushed, all right?"</p><p>Peter nodded, allowing Grandma to help him guide his IV tower into the bathroom next door to his room so he could pee and brush his teeth. He was so tired that he was practically falling asleep on his feet, his strength so low that he could barely even squeeze the toothpaste from his toothpaste tube. Lately it'd been taking so much of his energy to just keep breathing that even the simplest tasks had turned into almost unbearable chores.</p><p>He didn't have much time left, which was why he needed to find out what happened as soon as possible.</p><p>
  <em>Please, let Papa be okay! Don't take him away from Dad now!</em>
</p><p>Finally done with his teeth, Peter shuffled back to his room, burrowing down into his papa's old blankets as Grandma adjusted his IV lines and helped him take a couple sips of water.</p><p>"Sleep now, dear," she whispered as she ruffled his messy hair. "Everything will be all right."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said. "'Night."</p><p>Despite his nervousness, Peter was able to fall asleep rather easily. Staying asleep, though, turned out to be a problem, as a steady flow of nightmares had him crying out in fear pretty much every hour on the hour. Horrible dreams of Papa's aircraft exploding on reentry in a massive ball of orange flames, or of General O'Brien overpowering his guards and arresting Dad for treason, sentencing him to death by firing squad without even the pretence of a trial. They eventually got so bad that the adults started taking shifts with him, thinking that he'd be able to sleep better if he knew that he wasn't alone.</p><p>Having someone with him did help, but only a little, and by morning when there still wasn't any new news and still no one who would answer his questions, Peter's patience had finally reached its breaking point.</p><p>He had just finished eating his lunch—Grandma had ordered him to take a nap after breakfast, using the excuse that his heart rate was too high for him to be doing anything more strenuous than sleeping—when he heard Uncle Sam, Uncle Bucky, and Uncle James all talking out in the hallway next to the kitchen. For all the times that the doctors and nurses in the hospital had spoken about Peter like they hadn't realised he could hear them, it was almost funny how often the adults in his own family did as well.</p><p>"I'm telling you, we need to let him know what's going on," Uncle Sam said. "Peter's no dummy, right, so he already knows that something's wrong. It's just not right to keep him in the dark like this."</p><p>"No, Peter's definitely not a dummy, but I'm telling you that this is coming directly from Steve himself," said Uncle James. "He told both Tony and myself that he absolutely does not want Peter to know what's going on until we have no other choice."</p><p>"That's just 'cause Stevie's afraid to look weak in front of his kid," Uncle Bucky said, obviously frustrated. "Which is just goddamn ridiculous, if you ask me. That kid adores him, so I just don't get that at all."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, but no matter what Steve's reasons are, it still doesn't give us the right to go against his wishes," Uncle James said. "Now, I can see what he says the next time we talk to him, but we're trying to keep the conversations to a minimum to preserve his oxygen, so I'm not exactly sure when that's gonna be."</p><p>"Okay, but in the meantime, what're we supposed to tell him, hmm?" asked Uncle Sam. "'Cause I'm not lying to him. Not about this. You break a kid's trust once over something like this and you'll never get it back."</p><p><em>Oh gods, Papa's trapped! </em>Peter thought, his heart starting to thud. He pressed his palm over his chest, begging his stupid heart to behave itself for once. The last thing he needed was one of his monitors to start going off and halt the conversation.</p><p>"I don't know," Uncle James finally said. "Tony's so beside himself right now that I didn't have the heart to ask him, so…"</p><p>"Okay, so I'll just go and sit with him for awhile then," said Uncle Bucky. "See if I can distract him."</p><p>"No, that won't work," warned Uncle Sam. "I'm telling you, he's too smart for that."</p><p>"Well, then, what?" snapped Uncle Bucky. "We can't just leave him alone the whole damn day, Sam! Then he'll really start to catch on."</p><p>"All right, all right," said Uncle Sam. "Go ahead and try, but I'm afraid he's just gonna see right through it." He let out a heavy sigh. "When's the next time we're supposed to hear from Steve?"</p><p>"1900 hours," Uncle James answered. "So I'm gonna head back up to the base now and see how Tony's doing. I'll let you know as soon as I know something."</p><p>"Thanks," said Uncle Sam. "Make sure and let Tony know that we're all here for him, yeah?"</p><p>"I will."</p><p>As soon as he heard the sound of Uncle James's retreating footsteps, Peter laid back, trying to make it look like he hadn't been listening. About three seconds later Uncle Bucky rapped on his door.</p><p>"Come in?"</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," Uncle Bucky said as he stepped into the room. "Thought maybe you might be up for another chess game now that you're done eating?"</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, sure." Peter pushed himself up to a sitting position, watching Uncle Bucky from the corner of his eye as he set up the chessboard on Peter's lap tray. As stoic as Uncle Bucky usually was, Peter could tell that he was struggling now, with his jaw clenched and his lips tightly pursed. He'd ended up being the person who had sat with Peter for most of the night, so he also looked about exhausted as Peter felt, with his skin paler than usual and dark purple circles under his eyes.</p><p>"So…" Peter said as he moved his first pawn. "Has there been any word from—"</p><p>"Not yet, kiddo," Uncle Bucky said quickly. He shot Peter a conflicted look before returning his gaze to the chessboard. "Colonel Rhodes is heading back up to the base to see what's going on now, so hopefully we'll hear something soon."</p><p>"Mmm, okay," Peter muttered as he pretended to study the board. "But what if we don't? Then what?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky huffed, moving one of his bishops with a lot more force than was probably necessary. "I don't—I don't know, Peter," he said quietly. "I just—I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."</p><p>
  <em>But I don't wanna just wait and see! I wanna know what's going on now!</em>
</p><p>"Okay, but how long are we gonna wait? And where're my dads? And why won't anyone just tell me what's going <em>on?"</em> Peter demanded, wishing so badly that he could stomp his foot. He was fully aware that he was in full-blown tantrum mode now, but he was so <em>sick </em>of people treating him like nothing more than some helpless little kid, when he'd been the one who had come up with most of the Phoenix mission in the first place.</p><p>"I said I don't know, Peter," Uncle Bucky warned. "Hopefully we'll hear something soon, and—"</p><p>"I heard you guys talking in the hallway," Peter blurted out. Uncle Bucky's head snapped up, his striking blue eyes wide with shock.</p><p>"You… <em>what?"</em></p><p>"Uh huh. And I know something's wrong with my papa," Peter added. "So please, <em>please, </em>Uncle Bucky, tell me what's wrong!"</p><p>Uncle Bucky's eyebrows knitted together as he glared at Peter. "You heard us?" he asked, low and tight.</p><p>"Yep," Peter said with a nod.</p><p>"How much?"</p><p>Peter dropped his head, tracing his fingertip around the edge of the chessboard.</p><p>"All of it. I heard all of it." He sucked in a deep, rattling breath, swallowing another cough. "So will you please tell me what's happened now?"</p><p>Uncle Bucky was quiet for several heartbeats, his head hung so that his cheekbone-length hair covered quite a bit of his face. He hadn't gotten a haircut since his accident, and Peter had to admit that he kinda liked Uncle Bucky's longer hair. It made him look fierce. Almost dangerous, in a cool kind of way.</p><p>And the fact that his "unkempt" hair was one of Uncle Bucky's ways of giving the Air Corps the middle finger made it even cooler.</p><p>"You can't tell Colonel Rhodes that I told you, all right?" Uncle Bucky finally said. "I don't want Sam getting into any trouble because of something I did."</p><p>"Oh, I won't!" Peter exclaimed, so much so that it triggered a brief coughing fit. He couldn't imagine that in the so-called "new" Langara that officers would still be punished by the questionable actions of their significant others, but he supposed it was better to be safe than sorry.</p><p>"I promise I won't," he repeated after a few sips of water. "I'm really good at keeping secrets."</p><p>"Mmm. You and Stevie both, apparently," grumbled Uncle Bucky. He shifted on his chair, tossing a quick glance at the door. "All right."</p><p>Peter gulped, trying to soothe the stupid throat tickle that just wouldn't leave him alone. "Something happened with Papa's reentry, right?" he asked. "That's why he's not home yet?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's right," said Uncle Bucky. "From what Steve's told us, as soon as he transmitted the code to activate the tesseract, JARVIS just up and disappeared."</p><p>"What?" Peter said, grimacing in surprise. "But that doesn't make any sense? JARVIS wouldn't just disappear unless one of us told him to, so—"</p><p>"Well, that's the thing, kiddo," Uncle Bucky said. "Your dad seems to think that there was another program hiding down underneath JARVIS, or some such thing. And somehow, activating the tesseract caused it to… wake up and take him over."</p><p>"<em>What!"</em> Peter sputtered, tears stinging his eyes. <em>No, no, no, that's not possible!</em> "But that's—that's <em>impossible!</em> When I made JARVIS I made sure that no one would be able to mess with him except me, my dad, or my grandpa, so how—?" He broke off as the tears spilled over, rolling down his cheeks. "Oh gods, Uncle Bucky, this is all my fault! I'm the one who wrote JARVIS's program, so if there was a problem with him, then—then—!"</p><p>"What? Peter, no!" Uncle Bucky exclaimed. "It is absolutely <em>not </em>your fault, do you understand me? Don't you even be talking like that! Do you have any idea how your dads would feel if they heard you saying stuff like that?"</p><p>"But it’s true!" Peter cried. "No one else did anything with JARVIS besides me and Dad, so—?"</p><p>He gasped as Uncle Bucky's fingers curled around his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Stop it, Peter. Stop it right the hell now, okay?" He sucked in a deep breath, his chin quivering. "Your dad specifically told Colonel Rhodes that he ran every single test he could think of on every single upgrade that you created for JARVIS, and there was not one single error in the whole goddamn thing. So I am telling you that this is absolutely <em>not</em> your fault."</p><p>"Then whose fault is it?" Peter shrieked, jumping when his heart monitor started to beep. "We can't let my papa die up there, Uncle Bucky! We just can't! My dad—!"</p><p>He broke off as he started coughing again, clutching his aching stomach muscles.</p><p>
  <em>My dad needs him too much!</em>
</p><p>"Shh, kiddo," Uncle Bucky murmured as he patted Peter's back. He glanced furtively at the monitor, grimacing. "You gotta try and calm down, okay? We don't want Ms Sarah to hear us, right?"</p><p>Peter sniffed, swiping at the tears tracking down his face as he tried to take the slow, even breaths that would help his heart rate to slow down.</p><p>
  <em>How could someone hate my papa so much that they'd wanna leave him stranded up in space? I just—I just don't get it?</em>
</p><p>"Here, kiddo, take a sip of water, yeah?" Uncle Bucky said. He handed Peter his water glass, nodding in encouragement as Peter took three small sips. He did need to calm down, both for his own sake and for Papa's. Freaking out wasn't gonna do Papa any good now.</p><p>"Someone obviously messed with the program somehow," he said once his monitor had stopped its annoying beeping. "But it can't have been very recently because then my encryptions would've caught it, so it would've had to have been really early on in the process."</p><p>Uncle Bucky thought for a moment. "Okay, that makes sense. But then if it was there the whole time, how would your dad have missed it? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would miss something like that."</p><p>"No, he's not." Peter chewed on his bottom lip, his guilt sitting like a giant lead ball inside his stomach. "It must've been something that they put on his workstation. Some monitoring program that would've picked up anything new that he added."</p><p>"And that monitoring thing would've let someone in to mess with the programming?" asked Uncle Bucky.</p><p>"Yeah, kinda like a back door that only certain people would know about," Peter said. "You told me that Dad said they undercovered a database that had all sorts of Langaran stuff in it, right?"</p><p>"Ah, yeah. All kinds of schematics and stuff for our weapons. Why?"</p><p>"Well, if there was one database like that, then who's to say there wasn't more than one?" said Peter. "And if the bad guys had access to whatever Dad had on his computer, then they could've programmed some command into JARVIS to tell him to turn off as soon as Papa activated the tesseract."</p><p>"Okay, but why?" Uncle Bucky asked. "Just to trap Steve up there? That seems like a helluva lot of work just to trap one pilot up in space, even if they knew it was gonna be Steve."</p><p>"Yeah, it is." While Peter could see General O'Brien having it in for Papa because Grandma refused to marry him, it was still weird to try and kill him now when he could've just refused to give Papa the serum all those years ago and he would've just died on his own.</p><p>But then, even the yellow beam that had attacked the pilots after the trial mission had gone after Uncle Bucky instead of Papa, so it still didn't make any sense.</p><p>"It is a stupid amount of work," Peter murmured, his pencil flipping around his thumb. "Which is why—"</p><p>A thought suddenly crashed into Peter's head like an out-of-control aircraft, causing him to gasp so hard that he started coughing again.</p><p>"Peter, maybe we should quit talking about this stuff," Uncle Bucky said worriedly. "All it's doing is making you worse!"</p><p>Peter shook his head, gulping down more water. "No, no, I figured it out! Whoever did this wasn't only after Papa, they were after Phoenix too! Without JARVIS, no one in Langara can control the satellites, which means—"</p><p>He stopped short when Uncle Bucky's face drained of colour. "Holy shit, kiddo," he whispered. "So you're saying that Meridia, or whoever the hell is in charge of Meridia, now has access to all of the Phoenix satellites?"</p><p>Peter's belly gave a violent swoop. "Uh huh."</p><p>"Okay, but if that's the case, then why haven't they started attacking us yet? I mean, I know I'm no expert, but at the moment those satellites seem to be working just like you and your dad designed 'em to work, so unless I'm missing something—"</p><p>"Yeah, you're right," Peter cut in. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to stamp down his welling panic. "Okay, so… General O'Brien wouldn't know how to design the program that deactivated JARVIS, so whoever did is probably still out there somehow. But then if that's true, there'd really be no reason to wait for an attack, so that should mean that whoever put in the program to attack JARVIS only knew how to take JARVIS out, but not necessarily how to replace him."</p><p>"Yeah, I could see that," Uncle Bucky said after a short pause. "But somehow I doubt that they're just sitting around on their asses either."</p><p>"No, but this also means that JARVIS was a lot more complicated than they'd originally thought," Peter said. "Which means I might still have time to fix him."</p><p>"Whoa, now hold on a second there, kiddo," said Uncle Bucky. "I wasn't even supposed to tell you any of this, and now you're talking about trying to fix it?"</p><p>"That's exactly what I'm saying!" exclaimed Peter. "'Cause if I don't, pretty soon the enemy's gonna have a weapons system that'll be basically unstoppable!"</p><p>
  <em>And if Papa dies, then Dad'll be all alone again, and I can't—I just can't let that happen!</em>
</p><p>Peter had to make sure that Papa got home. Whatever it took.</p><p>Uncle Bucky tipped his head back, running his hand through his hair. "Look, Peter, I think what I should do is tell Sam about all of this, okay? Then he and Colonel Rhodes can bring it up with Tony, and—"</p><p>"No, you can't say a word about this to anyone!" Peter pleaded. "Look, I'm sure that Dad already inputted some kind of temporary block into the Phoenix satellites that'll prevent anyone from messing with them, but it's only gonna be temporary 'cause he's gonna be too worried about Papa to want to focus too much on it, which means that as long as I can get in there and find the right code, then we might still—"</p><p>"But I still don't think Tony would want you to be worrying about it," Uncle Bucky said gently. "You're looking pretty wiped out, kiddo. I think you should only be worrying about yourself."</p><p>Fresh tears welled in Peter's eyes, spilling down his face. "But Papa's gonna suffocate if they don't get him down soon, and I can't let that happen, Uncle Bucky, I just can't! My dad needs him!"</p><p>"Sam said that they're doing everything Tony can think of to try and conserve Steve's oxygen," said Uncle Bucky. "The main thing they're worried about at the moment is that he's gonna get too cold, so—"</p><p>"But lowering his body temp would help him not need as much oxygen," said Peter. "And it would lower his metabolism a bit too. Maybe they could tell Papa to—"</p><p>"Peter, I'm pretty sure they already know that," Uncle Bucky interrupted. "But since Steve's controls are completely useless, he can't do a damn thing except sit there and watch the planet go by beneath him. And he's still okay at the moment, but if he gets much colder—"</p><p>"He won't be able to stay conscious," Peter whispered. "And then… even if they do figure out how to get his power back up, he won't—he won't be able to—"</p><p>
  <em>Which means I have even less time than I thought.</em>
</p><p>"Yeah," agreed Uncle Bucky. "According to Colonel Rhodes Stevie's already starting to shiver, so… Tony's afraid he won't be able to communicate too much longer with him."</p><p>Peter slumped back against his pillows, his fingernails digging into his palms and cringing at the gross rattling sounds that he made with every single inhale. Papa had told him after the trial mission that the only part of being in space that he hadn't liked was how cold it was, and the thought of his poor papa up there all alone… slowly freezing to death…</p><p>
  <em>I can't just lie here and do nothing! I have to help him!</em>
</p><p>"Then I've gotta fix it," he said quietly. "If I can find the buried code that's causing all the trouble with JARVIS and get rid of it, then JARVIS’ll be able to come back and Papa can reenter the atmosphere."</p><p>"No, you don't have to fix it," Uncle Bucky said sternly. "What you need to do is get as much rest as you can so that when Tony does get Steve home, they'll be able to see you right away. Okay?"</p><p>"But—!"</p><p>"Nope," said Uncle Bucky. "Now, since we've used up all of our chess time yapping, I think you should take another nap, yeah? Before Ms Sarah comes in here and yells at me?" He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "When Stevie and I were kids she used to yell at me when she thought I was keeping him awake too much, and I don't need to go through that again."</p><p>Peter crossed his arms, sticking out his bottom lip. "Hmph. Fine."</p><p>"Good." Uncle Bucky got to his feet, patting Peter on the top of his head. "Try not to worry too much, okay, kiddo? We're not gonna let Stevie die up there without a fight. I promise."</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>But as soon as Peter heard Uncle Bucky's footsteps heading down the hallway, he reached over to the bedside table, grabbing the datapad that he'd left behind. Before the coup, Peter had been able to break through the Air Corps firewall in less than three minutes, so he figured it would be even easier this time.</p><p>Which it was. Less than a minute and only a few commands later, Peter had once again broken into the main Air Corps database.</p><p>Stifling a yawn, Peter headed straight for the virtual deposit box where Dad had tried to safeguard JARVIS's programming. Since Peter had designed most of JARVIS in the first place, he already had his own unique set of passwords and encryption codes that allowed him full access to the program without compromising Dad's information, or even revealing that he was in there at all.</p><p>All the better to poke around with.</p><p>"Okay," he murmured, his pencil flying around his thumb as he read over the lines of code. Just as he'd suspected, everything that he'd programmed since Dad had installed JARVIS's initial matrix was perfectly fine, which meant there had to have been some monitoring program installed on Dad’s computer way back before he first started that had somehow flagged the program as something someone needed to look at.</p><p>Which meant that Peter had to go way back to the beginning of JARVIS's design and search through every single line of code for anything out of the ordinary.</p><p>It was long, tedious work, made even worse by the fact that Peter couldn't seem to keep his tired eyes open for longer than about fifteen minutes at a time. It wasn't until after he'd eaten dinner and taken yet another short nap that he managed to finally stumble upon a coding line that didn't seem to fit with his usual methodology. Dad had always told Peter that every person who wrote code had their own rather unique "coding language", kind of like how each person's handwriting was just a bit different from everyone else's, and there was one line inserted about thirty lines from the bottom that on second glance, just didn't seem to fit.</p><p>The line that ended with the command: ЦLtЯ0П</p><p>"Ultron?" Peter whispered, narrowing his eyes at the odd-looking command. "What're you up to…?" He tapped in a few more commands, trying to decipher what this Ultron's base code was, but all he could find was that single line.</p><p>Whoever had inputted Ultron into the matrix had only figured out how to halt JARVIS's commands, not actually replace him.</p><p>But now that JARVIS was halted, that meant it was probably only a matter of time before someone tried to get Ultron up and running.</p><p>Peter tipped his head back, inhaling a deep breath through his nose. Grandma had increased both his oxygen flow and the dosage of one of his medicines earlier in the day, worried about his increasing heart rate, and the last thing Peter wanted was to somehow alert her to what he was doing.</p><p>Suddenly the entire screen went blank, returning about three seconds later back at the same place where Peter had started. Peter bit down hard on his lip as he tapped in various commands, checking on both his father's and grandfather's passwords, and finding nothing.</p><p>Someone was attempting to mess with the code, and it wasn't Dad. And since no one had seen Grandpa in weeks, Peter was pretty sure it wasn't him either.</p><p>"Then I've gotta stay ahead of it," Peter said. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and cracked his knuckles, taking a quick peek at the door to make sure no one was coming. Uncle Sam had gone up to the base with Uncle James to help Dad, and Uncle Bucky was sitting out in the living room with Grandma, trying to offer her support. Ms Sharon would be stopping by to check on him soon, once her shift at the hospital was over, but at the moment, Peter was unsupervised.</p><p>"Oh, you think you're smarter than me, do ya?" he murmured, scrunching his nose as his fingers began flying across the datapad. "Well, let's just see about that, hmm? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that you're wrong. I'm one of Langara's best-kept secrets."</p><p>And now, Papa's life was depending on him.</p><hr/><p>"Goddamnit it all to hell!" Tony shouted, pounding his fists on the counter so hard that he made his keyboard jump. He ripped the glasses from his face, tossing them onto the counter and pinching the bridge of his nose. The headache he'd been trying to keep at bay with copious amounts of coffee was starting to come roaring back, something that he had neither the time nor the fucking patience to deal with.</p><p>"Okay, Tony, why don't you tell me what you need before you break something, hmm?" Rhodey said from his chair against the back wall. He had just returned to the Control Room after briefing Colonel Phillips on the situation, which had only lasted all of about three minutes because Tony still couldn't fucking figure out how to fix the goddamn problem.</p><p>"And I only mean in like 'now' terms, all right?" added Rhodey. "Something tangible I can actually provide for you that might help?"</p><p>Tony scoffed, fighting against the almost overwhelming urge to scream. He was so exhausted that he was starting to smell colours, but despite Rhodey, Carol, Sam, and even Phillips himself telling him to take a break—"just fifteen minutes, Tony, please?"—there was no way in hell that he could possibly relax enough to rest.</p><p>Not while his beloved man was up there alone in space, slowly freezing to death.</p><p><em>Peace in our time, </em>Tony thought bitterly. <em>More like complete planetary control in our time.</em></p><p>"Tony?" Rhodey asked, gently, but with just enough oomph for Tony to know that he meant business. If he hadn't been in the middle of the worst crisis of his life he might've even laughed at Rhodey's tone, the very same that he used to use back during their university days when he was trying to convince Tony to actually do his homework.</p><p>"Um… some more coffee would be nice," Tony finally said. He scrubbed his palm down his face, sliding on his glasses. "The headache's starting to come back, so…"</p><p>"Yeah, can't imagine why?" Rhodey grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet. "I'm gonna get you some food too, all right? Just so the coffee doesn't eat through your stomach?"</p><p>Tony waved a dismissive hand. "None of that will matter unless I can get Steve back."</p><p>Rhodey sighed, tilting his head. "You know that's not true, but I'll let it slide anyway." He clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'll be right back."</p><p>"Yeah." Tony didn't move as Rhodey left the room, not taking his eyes off the monitor in front of him, and the lines of code that were systematically scrolling across it from bottom to top. He had already been over every single aspect of the X-302’s systems at least three times and found nothing that he could pinpoint as the source of the problem, but he figured it couldn't hurt to check them again.</p><p>And he still needed to come up with something to tell Peter. Sam had told him just an hour or so ago that Peter was already getting suspicious, and Tony knew that he couldn't keep putting him off for too much longer. It wasn't fair to his poor boy to keep him in the dark.</p><p>At the moment, though, Tony had absolutely no idea what to tell him. Peter's health was already so precarious that Tony was afraid that any bad news might be enough to tip him over the edge, and Tony couldn't risk him getting any worse before the surgeons could get a hold of him.</p><p>There'd be no way that Tony would survive if he lost even one of his boys, much less both of them.</p><p>"Here you go, Tones," Rhodey said as he placed a fresh, steaming cup of coffee on the counter next to him, along with two headache pills and one of the chocolate chip muffins that he'd always loved. The sight of it was almost enough to bring Tony to tears. He had told Steve about his ridiculous obsession with those damn muffins back on their second or third date, and Steve had promised him just before he'd left on the mission that they would be one of the first things that he made for Tony once they moved into the lake house.</p><p>The man never forgot anything. Not even some silly throwaway comment that Tony had made because he'd been too nervous to stop yammering.</p><p>"Thanks, Rhodey," he whispered. He tore off a chunk of the muffin, shoving it into his mouth as he reached for the pills and the coffee cup. He tossed the pills back, swallowing them down with a big gulp of coffee, which was so hot that it burned a raw path down his throat as he swallowed it. Tony didn't care, though. At least it helped remind him that he was still alive.</p><p>Which was more than he could say for Steve at the moment. During their last conversation earlier that day, Steve had already been shivering so badly that he'd barely been able to speak over the chattering of his teeth. Tony had ordered him to try and rest, to conserve both his energy and his oxygen, and Steve had told him that he would try, but Tony didn't honestly expect him to be able to do so.</p><p>How could anyone rest in a situation like that? It was too much to ask. Even of a super-soldier.</p><p>All of which meant that they were rapidly running out of time. If Tony didn't figure out how to restore Steve's power soon, then—</p><p><em>No! </em>Tony screamed inside his head. <em>I can't think like that!</em></p><p>He just couldn't. Not while there was still the tiniest speck of hope.</p><p>In his desperation earlier that morning, Tony had even asked Colonel Phillips to escort him down to the brig so he could speak with General O'Brien. Langaran troops searching through the various underground tunnels on the main Meridian base had already managed to find and arrest Justin Hammer—who then immediately broke down crying during his subsequent interrogation—but so far Hank Pym had managed to evade all attempts to find him, and Tony had been hoping that maybe once the general realised that his gig was finally up he might be willing to answer some of Tony's questions.</p><p>Unfortunately, it had been nothing but a colossal waste of time. Not only had O'Brien proceeded to laugh in Tony's face when he demanded to know of Hank Pym's whereabouts, but he had also informed Tony in no uncertain terms that Pym was so adept at hiding that there'd be "no chance in hell" that anyone would ever be able to find him.</p><p>"And what the goddamn hell is that supposed to mean?" Tony had demanded.</p><p>"Oh, I'm sure you'll eventually be able to figure it out, <em>Mister </em>Stark," O'Brien had sneered. "You are Langara's top civilian scientist, remember?"</p><p>O'Brien had been damn lucky that there'd been a force shield separating him from Tony, because Tony had been so fucking angry in that moment that he probably could've ripped apart a vibranium shield with his bare hands.</p><p>If such a thing had even existed, that is.</p><p>"Eat, Tony," Rhodey suddenly said from his chair, startling Tony such that he almost knocked over his coffee cup. "'Cause in the state you're in right now you're not much good to anyone."</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Tony as he broke off a big piece of the muffin, shoving it into his mouth. It was coming up on the time for him to check in with Steve, and he was both anxious for it and dreading it. Hearing Steve's voice would at least remind Tony that he was still alive, but having to tell him that they were no closer to bringing him home than they were six hours ago was going to be so incredibly painful that at the moment Tony had no idea how he was going to be able to handle it.</p><p>"You'll be able to handle it," Rhodey said softly, looking up from his datapad. Apparently Tony was now to the point where he was speaking his thoughts instead of just thinking them. "I know you will."</p><p>"Oh you know it, do you?" Tony muttered, feeling instantly guilty when Rhodey shot him one of his <em>really?</em> looks.</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>"It's okay, Tones," Rhodey said. "I understand."</p><p>"You shouldn't have to," added Tony. "But… I appreciate it anyway."</p><p>Unfortunately, the next hour that passed didn't prove to be any more fruitful than the hours before it, and soon enough Tony was on the comm, staring at the drawing Steve gave him as he called out to him in a shaky voice.</p><p>"Honey?" he said. "Are you—are you still there?"</p><p>Static burst across the comm, raising all the hair on Tony's arms until he heard Steve attempt to clear his throat.</p><p>"Hey, sweetheart," he said, with only the slightest hint of a wobble. Tony could tell that his teeth were still chattering, which he chose to take as a good sign. "How're you holding up?"</p><p>"I'm—" Tony started, quickly clamping his jaw closed. There was no way his usual, off-the-cuff "I'm fine" was going to fly anywhere with Steve. He knew him far too well.</p><p>"Barely, hon," he admitted. "But I'm not on here to talk about me right now, yeah? I need to know how you're doing."</p><p>"Oh, I'd say I'm about the same," said Steve. "I've been eyeballing each of the satellites as I go by, and they all seem to be working okay."</p><p>Tony dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head. Leave it to Steve to continue on the mission as if nothing were wrong. If Tony hadn't been so goddamn worried and scared, he would've been almost amused.</p><p>It also gave Steve something to do, Tony realised less than a second later. He'd learned pretty early on that Steve liked to be busy, or at least to have something to do with his hands. He was not one who enjoyed just sitting around doing nothing.</p><p>He was a lot like Tony that way. And Peter, for that matter.</p><p>"That's good, hon. That's real good," he said. "I… um…"</p><p>"Tony," Steve said quietly. "It's okay, sweetheart."</p><p>"No, it is fucking <em>not </em>okay!" Tony snapped. "There is absolutely nothing about this that is even remotely close to being okay, so don't you dare try and tell me that it is!"</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"Goddamnit, Steve, why the hell can't I figure this out?" Tony cut in. "I've designed countless weapons for this government over the years, including not one, but <em>three </em>separate aircraft, and managed to build all of those goddamn satellites that are up there taunting you as we speak, so why the hell can't I figure this out?"</p><p>"Tony, please," Steve said, far too calmly for Tony's taste. "Beating yourself up over something that you can't control won't help anything."</p><p>"Yeah, well, at least it's something that I know I'm good at," mumbled Tony.</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I know." Tony swiped at his leaky eyes, sniffing. "Honey, I know you don't really wanna talk about this, but we need—we need to tell Pete something. Sam told me that he's starting to get pretty upset, and I don't—he was already starting to look bad before you left, and I—"</p><p>"I don't want to tell him anything that will upset him more, Tony," said Steve. "He's too fragile, and it's not fair to him to be worrying about me when there's nothing he can do about it."</p><p>"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure we're already beyond that point," Tony said. "We've gotta tell him something, hon. He deserves to know what's going on."</p><p>Steve was quiet for several heartbeats, and Tony could just picture the worry wrinkle firmly etched between his eyebrows.</p><p>"What do you suggest?" he finally asked. "You—you know him better than I do, so… I'll go along with whatever you want to tell him."</p><p>Tony huffed out a sharp breath, squeezing his eyes closed. He honestly had no idea what to say to Peter, which was one of the main reasons why he'd so far chosen to say nothing.</p><p>Which he knew for Peter was even worse than the truth.</p><p>"We just have to make sure that he knows there's still hope," Tony said. "Mr Jarvis used to tell me that hope was always stronger than fear, and… while I never believed him back then… as long as Pete knows there's still a chance, then—"</p><p>"I think that's fine, sweetheart," said Steve. "And then if it comes down to it, I'll—I'd like to talk to him personally again before—"</p><p>Tony's heart gave a painful lurch. "We can figure something else out if we get to that point, yeah?" '<em>Cause I'm sure as hell not there yet.</em></p><p>"All right. That Mr Jarvis was a pretty smart guy, hmm?"</p><p>"Yeah, he was," agreed Tony. "Gods, Steve, I really wish you could've met him."</p><p>"Me too."</p><p>They were both quiet again, until Steve cleared his throat.</p><p>"I do have something that I need to ask you, sweetheart," he said. "If you don't mind."</p><p>"No?" said Tony. "Why would I mind?"</p><p>"Well…" Steve trailed off, his nervousness evident even thousands of kilometres away in space. "I was—I was gonna wait until I got home to ask you this, but… just in case, I wanted to—"</p><p>"Steve, please. You don't need to say anything—"</p><p>"Please, Tony, just let me finish, okay?" Steve interrupted. "This is really important to me."</p><p>"O-kay," Tony said slowly. "But I gotta say, you're starting to scare me a bit, so—"</p><p>"This isn't how I'd planned to do this at all," Steve blurted out. "But… I'd love it if you could close your eyes, and imagine that we're out near the baseball field where we used to have our picnics, and that I'm standing in front of you right now, holding both of your hands. Can you see it, Tony?"</p><p>Tony closed his eyes, imagining Steve's warm hands grasping his own, and the bright stars twinkling in the sky above them.</p><p>"Yeah, hon, I can see it."</p><p>"Okay." He heard Steve draw in a shaky breath, letting it out through his teeth. "Now, I'd like you to picture that I'm getting down on one knee, and I'm asking you to—"</p><p>Tony's heart began to thud. "Oh gods, Steve—honey, you don't—you don't have to—"</p><p>"This is what I want, Tony," Steve insisted. "I want to be by your side, and for you to be by mine for as long as forever is, okay? Now, keep your eyes closed, and imagine that I'm right in front of you, asking you this: Tony, will you marry me?"</p><p>Steve's words came out in a rush, so it took Tony a couple of seconds for them to filter through the fog in his head.</p><p>"Steve… are you—are you <em>sure?" </em>he asked. "'Cause—'cause—"</p><p>'<em>Cause on a scale of one to holy shit, this is—this is—</em></p><p>"I am absolutely positive," Steve replied. "I love you, Tony, and I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"</p><p>Tony's bottom lip trembled as he nodded, knowing full well that Steve couldn't even see him. "Steve, of course I'll marry you," he whispered. "Did you honestly think there was any way that I could say no?"</p><p>"I'm gonna choose to not answer that question," Steve said, relief evident in his voice. "I love you so much, Tony. You've made me the happiest man in Langara today."</p><p>"Yeah, and that's really saying something, considering that you're not even in Langara at the moment," said Tony. "Aren't you somewhere over the ocean right about now?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I'm sure you know what I mean. You're a pretty smart guy."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess. Smart enough to snag you, hmm?"</p><p>"Exactly. Can you do me one more favour before we sign off here?"</p><p>"Anything, honey."</p><p>"I'd like you to go to our room at the barracks," Steve said. "Ask Sam or Carol or Colonel Rhodes to open it up for you if you need to, but… at the back of my sock drawer there's a small, black box that's got your ring inside it, and—and I'd really love it if you could find it and put it on for me. I want to imagine you wearing it when I look at the picture of the three of us."</p><p>"Okay, honey, I can do that," Tony whispered. "But I'm not gonna count it as official-official until you can put it on my finger yourself, okay? This'll just be like a practise run."</p><p>"That's fine, sweetheart," Steve said, just as softly. "And I hope—I really hope that you like it. I designed it myself."</p><p>"Then I know I will." Tony glanced over at the drawing, at the three of them looking so happy and healthy and together, and the tears he'd been trying to hold back finally broke free, tracking down his face to pool in the scraggly stubble sprinkled across his chin.</p><p>"Steve, you've gotta make it back. You've just got to, 'cause I can't—I just can't live—and Pete—honey, he misses you so much, and—"</p><p>"Tony," Steve whispered. "It's gonna be okay. No matter what happens to me, both you and Peter will be safe, and to me that's what matters most."</p><p>"Yeah, well, instead of arguing about it, why don't we just work on getting you back here, yeah?" said Tony. "'Cause that'll just be the easiest way to solve all these problems."</p><p>"All right, sweetheart. We can do that."</p><p>"Good." Tony glanced up at the clock, rubbing his temples. "It's 2130 now, so I'm gonna give you another six-hour break, okay? We can talk again at 0330."</p><p>"That sounds reasonable," said Steve.</p><p>"Yeah. And in the meantime, I want you to get some sleep, okay? Getting some rest should help keep your breathing more steady too."</p><p>"As long as you do the same, Tony," Steve said gently. "I doubt that you've slept much since I left. Have you?"</p><p>"Mmm," Tony grumbled. "Not really."</p><p>"Well, then you definitely could use some. But only after you go and find your engagement ring, okay?"</p><p>"Yep. In the sock drawer."</p><p>"That's right. I love you, <em>mo stor."</em></p><p>"I love you too, honey."</p><p>As soon as the comm went silent, Tony slumped into his chair, his mind such a swirling mass of conflicting emotions that for a moment he felt paralysed, unable to even move out of fear that something else would happen.</p><p>"<em>Hope is always stronger than fear, Master Tony," </em>Mr Jarvis used to say whenever Tony had been bullied at school, or gotten into yet another screaming match with Howard while he was drunk. And while at the time Tony hadn't quite believed the statement itself, he had at least trusted the sentiment behind it, knowing without a doubt that Mr Jarvis had always had Tony's best interests at heart.</p><p>"Hope is always stronger than fear," Tony said out loud, his eyes trained on Steve's drawing. And he owed it to both Steve and to Peter to keep on hoping until all of the hope was gone.</p><p>Pushing himself up from his chair, Tony hurried out of the Control Room and out towards the barracks, catching the front door to the building just as someone was coming out. Then he raced down the hall to Steve's—<em>their</em>—room, his eyes going wide in surprise when his own ID badge was able to unlock the door.</p><p>Apparently Colonel Phillips still had some hope.</p><p>Rushing into the room, Tony headed straight for the small dresser and opened Steve's sock drawer, rummaging around in the back until he found the small box, just like Steve had said. He hesitated a couple of seconds before opening it, gasping in awe once he did.</p><p>The ring—a simple white gold band inlaid with three small stones, one blue stone flanked with two red stones—was absolutely <em>perfect.</em> And as Tony carefully pulled it out of the box and prepared to slide it onto his finger, he noticed that there was something else etched on the inside of the band, something that he had to squint to fully make out.</p><p>It was a phoenix, its wings outstretched, preparing to take flight.</p><p>Maybe hope really was still stronger than fear.</p><hr/><p>"No, no, no, not like that! Let's go this way. There, that's more like it," Peter muttered, his fingers flying so quickly over the tiny datapad keyboard that they were starting to cramp. He'd been at it for over three hours now, ever since he had noticed some unknown person trying to mess around with JARVIS's code.</p><p>Someone was trying to get Ultron, whatever it was, to completely take over the Phoenix satellites, and that was something that Peter could not allow. Having the Phoenix system in the hands of anyone besides JARVIS would be such a massive catastrophe that it would put the Battle of the Continents to shame, setting the entire planet right back to where they started.</p><p>And whoever was in there messing around was pretty good, Peter had to admit, but they still weren't as good as him. As long as he could keep ahead of them, he should hopefully be able to get JARVIS back up and running.</p><p>He just had to make sure that Papa didn't die in the meantime. So far they could thank the super soldier serum for keeping him alive, but Peter assumed that not even the serum would be enough to keep him alive forever.</p><p>Peter still needed to work fast.</p><p>At least Dad had finally called him, right before his supposed bedtime. He hadn't told Peter anything that he didn't already know, and the intense worry in Dad's voice had nearly shattered Peter's already busted-up heart, but it was still good to at least hear his voice, to know that he was doing whatever he could to help Papa get home.</p><p>"We're gonna get him back, Pete, I promise," Dad had said. "You just gotta hang in there for us, okay?"</p><p>And of course Peter had told him that he would, even though he knew the truth. Even though he had already accepted that he was going to die. That he was to the point now where he even welcomed the fact that he was going to die.</p><p>He was just so <em>tired.</em> So tired of shivering all the time, so tired of being so weak, of the constant coughing and struggling to breathe, so tired of his blue lips and fingers and his pounding heart that was like a tire spinning in the mud, making a huge mess but going absolutely nowhere.</p><p>He was so tired of dying. All he wanted to do was sleep.</p><p>But he couldn't. Not until he'd brought Papa home.</p><p>"Peter, what're you still doing awake? It's really late!" Ms Sharon said, startling him as she stepped into the room, her stethoscope at the ready. She had offered to take over checking on him during the night so Grandma could try and get some sleep.</p><p>"Yeah, I know it is," Peter said, barely looking up from the datapad. "But I've gotta get this program working again before my papa freezes up there, so—"</p><p>"Peter," Ms Sharon said sternly. "I am positive that no one has asked you to do what you're doing. Have they?"</p><p>Peter gulped, biting his bottom lip. "Well… no… but that doesn't mean that I can't still do it. Right?"</p><p>Ms Sharon frowned as she pressed her stethoscope to Peter's chest. "You really need your rest, sweetie. Your lungs are sounding pretty waterlogged at the moment, and I know your dads wouldn't want you to—"</p><p>"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, neither of my dads are here at the moment," Peter cut in, scowling at his screen. "Which is exactly the problem that I'm trying to fix."</p><p>"Peter—"</p><p>"No!" he cried, looking up at the kind nurse with pleading eyes. "Ms Sharon, you of all people know that there's no hope for me, so please, just let me do this! Let me save my papa before it's too late!"</p><p>"Peter, just because there's no surgeon available doesn't mean that—"</p><p>"Yes, it does." Peter sniffed, his fingers pausing for only a second. "All the doctors have been doing this whole time is just leading my dad on with false hope, and he doesn't deserve that. What he does deserve is to have someone who loves him, so he won't be alone once I'm gone."</p><p>Ms Sharon's face fell, her eyes trained on her stethoscope bell.</p><p>"That is true," she said softly. "But that still doesn't mean that there's no hope for you."</p><p>Peter shot her one of his <em>duh </em>looks. "Uhh, yeah, it kinda does. No surgeon means no surgery, which means my heart, and therefore me, is pretty much outta luck."</p><p>"No, it doesn't!" Ms Sharon insisted. "Peter, there are a lot of things going on that you don't quite understand, so—"</p><p>"And I don't care about any of that stuff," Peter said. "All I care about is getting my papa back. My dad needs him, especially after—" He broke off, shaking his head. He'd already cried over himself enough, and more tears wouldn't help anyway. "Especially afterwards. And I know I can bring Papa home, so you just gotta leave me alone until I figure this out."</p><p>Ms Sharon sighed. "Peter—"</p><p>"Please!" Peter begged, followed by a hard cough. "Please, just leave me alone and let me do this! Please!"</p><p>"Your oxygen saturation is already below ninety percent, your lungs are soaking wet, and both your heart and your respiratory rates are elevated," Ms Sharon stated. "Sweetie, I'm afraid you're not gonna last too much longer unless you stop what you're doing now and get some rest."</p><p>Peter pursed his lips, shaking his head. "I can't stop. Not until I know that Papa is coming home."</p><p>Ms Sharon was silent for several heartbeats, finally nodding once.</p><p>"I'll give you a little while longer, okay?" she said as she adjusted the alarms on his monitors. "But only a little while."</p><p>"Oh, thank you!" Peter whispered. "Now, if you don't mind—"</p><p>"No, I understand," Ms Sharon said. "I need to go contact Colonel Phillips anyway. I'll come back to check on you in a bit, all right?"</p><p>"Uh huh." Peter didn't even look up as she exited the room, his tongue poking out between his teeth as he studied the code he'd just written.</p><p>It was working. All he had to do now was rid the rest of JARVIS's coding of any mentions of Ultron, and Papa would be good to go.</p><p>Setting down the datapad, Peter rolled his neck, rubbing at his aching shoulder for a moment. He should've known that he could count on Ms Sharon's help. She had always been so good to him, one of the nicest people he'd ever met.</p><p>She'd never treated him like he was nothing but a menace to society, like so many others had.</p><p><em>No more, </em>Peter thought. Then he picked up the datapad and resumed his coding.</p><p>Because now, not only would the Stark family be remembered as heroes in Langara rather than villains, his father would be able to live out the rest of his life with the man he loved.</p><p>And that was all that really mattered.</p><hr/><p>Thankfully, Ms Sharon was true to her word, only bugging Peter every couple of hours during the night while Grandma and Uncle Bucky caught up on their sleep, both of them exhausted from constantly having to deal with Peter's needs. But by the time the barest hints of light were beginning to poke over the distant horizon, Peter was struggling hard to keep himself going, his lungs so drenched that every single breath was a gargantuan effort, his fingers so freezing cold that he could barely feel them as they ceaselessly tapped against the keyboard.</p><p>He didn't have much time left.</p><p>Tipping his head back, Peter sucked in the slowest, deepest breath that he could, pressing his palm over his heart that was racing so fast he was surprised that it hadn't just decided to explode and be done with it.</p><p>But he was so, so close. All he needed to do was—</p><p>
  <em>That!</em>
</p><p>The thought came barrelling towards Peter like a crashing freight train, and he raised his head, barely blinking as his frozen fingers danced across the keyboard for about fifteen minutes straight, inputting the final commands that should override the stupid Ultron thingy for good, and hopefully—</p><p>
  <em>Hopefully…</em>
</p><p>Typing the last of the code, Peter pursed his lips, his trembling index hovering over the ENTER key.</p><p>
  <em>Please let this work. Please let this work.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please, let this work!</em>
</p><p>He hit ENTER, and the whole thing immediately went blank, only for the words, INITIATE SYSTEM to appear across the top a couple seconds later.</p><p>"Y, E, S," he said, his voice barely above a weak croak as he tapped in the letters, relief hitting him like a massive wave as he watched JARVIS's familiar code begin to fill his screen.</p><p>Peter had done it. He had managed to rebuild JARVIS.</p><p>Papa could finally come home.</p><p>And now, all he wanted to do was sleep.</p><p>He let the datapad fall onto his lap, his hands dropping to his sides as he slumped back against the pillows, struggling to breathe in.</p><p>
  <em>So tired… I'm just so tired… </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Let me sleep. Please, just let me sleep—</em>
</p><hr/><p>The tiny <em>bip bip bip </em>of code scrolling across his monitor woke Tony from his fitful doze, his head snapping up so fast from its lolled position that he wrenched his neck.</p><p>"Ow!" he groaned, rubbing at the burning pain as he squinted at the gibberish rolling across his screen. "What the—?"</p><p>"Pardon me, sir?" JARVIS asked, startling Tony so badly that he nearly fell off his chair. "I didn't quite catch that?"</p><p><em>Holy shit. </em>Tony's trembling hand raked through his hair as he pinched himself hard on his side, making sure that he wasn't still dreaming or something.</p><p>"Huh?" he said, clearing his throat. "JARVIS? Is that—is that… you?"</p><p>"It is indeed, sir," answered JARVIS. "How may I be of assistance?"</p><p>"Oh, shit!" Tony muttered as he scrambled to gather up the piles of papers strewn about his workstation. "JARVIS, uhh, you've—you've gotta—<em>shit!"</em> He ran his hand through his hair again, trying to force his exhausted mind to function. "Steve! JARVIS, you need to get Steve's aircraft up and running again, he needs to reenter the atmosphere as soon as possible, and—"</p><p>"I am already attempting to wake Captain Rogers, sir," replied JARVIS. "Please stand by."</p><p>"No, no, don't even bother with that, just start working on the calculations for reentry—"</p><p>"I am perfectly capable of completing both tasks at the same time, sir," protested JARVIS. "Please stand by."</p><p>"Yeah… okay… okay…" Tony pressed his palm to his chest, sucking in a deep breath. His heart was racing so fast that he felt dizzy, and he still wasn't quite convinced that he wasn't dreaming.</p><p>"How in the hell did you get back up?" he asked as he patted his shirt and pants pockets, looking for the damn comm device. He'd been right in the middle of another test when he'd apparently dropped off, but as far as he knew nothing had happened in the meantime, so—</p><p>"Reentry angle for Captain Rogers has been calculated, sir," JARVIS said. "Time to reentry will be exactly three minutes and four seconds on my mark. Mark."</p><p>Tony gave a nod as he shoved the comm device into his ear. "Steve? Steve, honey, are you there? Steve? Oh gods, don't do this to me now, honey! Not when we've just figured out how to—"</p><p>"Tony?" came Steve's voice over the comm. It was so weak that it was barely audible, but still one of the sweetest things that Tony had ever heard in his life. "Tony, what's going on? Everything just kinda lit up a few seconds ago, and—"</p><p>"That's 'cause we're getting ready to bring you home, honey," Tony said quickly. "You just sit back and enjoy the ride now, okay? JARVIS is gonna do all the work."</p><p>"JARVIS?" Steve asked. "But I thought—I thought—?"</p><p>"Steve, just don't think, okay?" begged Tony. "Just… try and stay awake so I can see those gorgeous blue eyes of yours when you land, yeah? We're bringing you home now."</p><p>"Yes," said Steve. "Yes, I can—I can do that."</p><p>"Ninety seconds to reentry, sir," JARVIS said. "Captain Rogers’ vital signs are also improving."</p><p>"Probably because he's starting to warm up a bit," said Tony. "And the reentry will help with that too." Steve would still have to be checked out at the hospital, and Tony was just about to pick up the phone and order an emergency transport when Colonel Phillips suddenly burst into the Control Room, followed directly by Rhodey, Carol, and Sam.</p><p>"What's going on?" demanded Phillips. "I heard something about—?"</p><p>"Somehow JARVIS came back to life," Tony said. "And he's already calculated Steve's reentry angle, and—"</p><p>"Fifteen seconds to reentry," JARVIS cut in.</p><p>"That," Tony finished. He let out an excited gasp, his body literally buzzing with adrenaline. "Oh gods, Colonel, Steve is really coming home!"</p><p>"Congratulations, Tony. Well done," Phillips said softly, a slight smile stretching across his thin lips. He was a bit less jovial than Tony would've expected, but Tony supposed it didn't really matter. Phillips had been working almost nonstop since everything began as well, so the old man was probably just exhausted.</p><p>"Five… four… three… two… one… Captain Rogers is passing through the barrier, sir," said JARVIS. "Expect reentry in approximately three minutes."</p><p>"Call the emergency crews and alert the hospital!" ordered Phillips. "Tell them we're gonna have a very cold and very dehydrated pilot on our hands!"</p><p>"Right away, sir," said Rhodey, jerking his head towards Carol. He was a bit less excited than Tony would've expected too, but Tony quickly brushed it off. Everyone had been working their asses off for almost five days trying to keep two whole countries from falling into panic and bring Steve home at the same time. Tony could understand if they weren't running around leaping for joy.</p><p>But that didn't mean that he couldn't.</p><p>"Steve, honey, do you read?" Tony asked as he ran down the steps and out onto the runway, shielding his eyes from the bright sun as he scanned the sky for Steve's aircraft. "Steve, are you there?"</p><p>Three of the longest seconds that Tony had ever experienced in his life passed before he heard Steve's reply.</p><p>"I'm here, sweetheart," he said, much stronger than he'd sounded before. "JARVIS is starting my approach now."</p><p>"Oh, thank the <em>gods!"</em> Tony exclaimed, nearly collapsing with relief when he saw Steve's X-302 emerge from behind a pocket of marshmallow-like clouds. "Honey, I can—I can see you. You're—you're almost here, and—"</p><p>He was cut off by the emergency vehicle as it pulled up just off to the side of the runway, the medics readying their stretcher as Steve's aircraft grew closer.</p><p>"The hospital's already ready for him, Tony," Rhodey said as he came up next to him. He clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder, attempting a smile. "See? I told you not to give up."</p><p>"Yeah, you did," Tony said as he heard Steve's landing gear engage. He held his breath as the aircraft touched down, cruising to a final stop about ten metres from where Tony was standing.</p><p>"Steve!" Tony shouted as he ran towards the aircraft, catching sight of his beloved just as the canopy popped open. Steve looked like he'd been to hell and back, with his pale cheeks all flushed and covered with stubble and partially-frozen sweat, but to Tony he was absolutely beautiful.</p><p>"Tony!" Steve cried just as Tony arrived at the aircraft, a pathetic sound that nearly tore Tony's heart right down the middle. He was so weak that he could barely move as the medics unbuckled his harness and lifted him from the cockpit, their family picture clutched in one hand. "Tony, where—where are you?"</p><p>"I'm right here, babe," he said as he reached for Steve's free hand, grasping it as the medics hoisted him onto the stretcher, covering him with a thick blanket. "I've got you."</p><p>"You've got me," Steve said, weak and raspy. "You've got my back."</p><p>"That's right, honey, I've got you. And as soon as we get you all fixed up we can go see Pete and make his entire year, okay?"</p><p>Steve gave a single nod, his fingers twitching slightly in Tony's as they rubbed up against the cool metal of his engagement ring.</p><p>"You're wearing the ring?" he asked, so boyishly tentative that Tony couldn't help but chuckle.</p><p>"Well, yeah. You asked me to wear it, right?"</p><p>Steve's cracked lips stretched into a tired smile. "Yeah, I did. Does that mean you like it, then?"</p><p>"Yeah, honey, I love it," Tony whispered as he looked down at the shiny band encircling his finger. He smoothed Steve's too-long hair from his eyes, cupping his stubbled cheek. "Almost as much as I love you."</p><p>Steve's smile grew wider as he squeezed Tony's hand. "I love you too, sweetheart. And I can't wait to see Peter."</p><p>They rode to the hospital in a blur of blaring sirens, with Rhodey, Sam, and Carol following behind in Rhodey's car. As soon as Steve was wheeled through the doors the doctors sprang into action, hooking him up to IVs and checking him over for other signs of injury.</p><p>Of which there were none. Aside from his too-low body temp and severe dehydration, Steve was otherwise perfectly fine.</p><p>He and Tony had just finished eating a light meal when there came a knock at the door.</p><p>"Come in?" said Tony, his eyebrows shooting up when Colonel Phillips, Rhodey, and Sam all came into the room, assembling at the foot of Steve's bed.</p><p>"Congratulations, Captain Rogers," Phillips said. "You and Captain Danvers have literally transformed this planet. You should be very proud."</p><p>"Thank you, sir," Steve replied. "But it wasn't just Carol and me. The rest of the pilots deserve just as much credit as us, and so do Tony and Peter. Without them, we wouldn't have had Project Phoenix at all."</p><p>"Yes, that's very true," said Phillips. "And, speaking of that—"</p><p>"How is Pete doing, by the way?" asked Tony. "Any chance we could get him on the phone here so he could talk to Steve?"</p><p>Tony watched as the three men exchanged loaded glances, his belly swooping in fear as he locked eyes with Rhodey, whose face was drawn and ashen.</p><p>"Rhodey? Something wrong?"</p><p>Rhodey breathed in, glancing at Sam. "Tony, I don't—I don't know how to tell you this, but—"</p><p>"Then just spit it out already," Tony snapped. "Is it about Pete?"</p><p>"Yeah, it is," said Sam. "Peter's… well… he's—"</p><p>"What?" Steve cried, bolting upright on his bed. "Colonel what's going on here? You promised me that Peter would be safe!"</p><p>Phillips sucked in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders as he jerked his head towards Sam.</p><p>"Sarah found Peter unresponsive this morning at around 0730," Sam stated. "After she and Sharon Carter were able to resuscitate him, I transported him here, but—"</p><p>"No!" Tony exclaimed, crying out as Steve grabbed onto his hand, squeezing it so tight that his knuckles popped. "Oh gods, <em>please</em>, don't tell me—!"</p><p>"Peter's on a ventilator, Tony," Rhodey said. "He's still alive, but barely, and—"</p><p>"Oh gods, this isn't happening," Tony cried. He pressed his palm to his chest, his heart threatening to break through. "This can't be happening, Rhodey! I only talked to him a few hours ago!"</p><p>"Colonel, what exactly are you saying?" Steve asked as a tear trailed down his cheek. "Are you saying that Peter's going to—that he's gonna—?"</p><p>"No, Captain, that is absolutely <em>not </em>what he's saying," Phillips said firmly. He turned to Tony, pursing his lips. "Do you remember when I told you that I had a contingency plan in place for your boy?"</p><p>"Huh?" Tony said, barely coherent against the crushing weight of his fear. "But the doctors always told me that if Pete ever had to go on a vent, that he'd—that he'd never get off of it!"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure there were a lot of things that the doctors told you about him," Phillips said, rather bitterly. "So it's good that my plan doesn't involve any of them."</p><p>"What does that mean?" snapped Steve. "Please excuse my tone, Colonel, but I would very much appreciate it if you could explain yourself right now. Sir."</p><p>"At ease, Captain," said Phillips. Then he walked over to the door and pulled it open, stepping back as one more person entered the room.</p><p>It was Howard.</p><p>"What the goddamn hell is he doing here?" shrieked Tony. Rage flooded his body as he pointed an accusing finger at the man who in his mind was completely responsible for Peter's deterioration. "This is all his fault, Colonel, so if you think that now's the time for some goddamn reconciliation or something, then you're out of your goddamn mind!"</p><p>"That's not why I'm here, Tony," Howard said, so clear and with such conviction that Tony jumped. He hadn't heard Howard speak like that since he was six years old, before his heart surgery.</p><p>"Then why are you here, Mr Stark?" demanded Steve.</p><p>Howard glanced over at Phillips, who gave him an encouraging nod.</p><p>"I'm here to help you, gentlemen. I'm here to save the boy."</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t believe we’re so close to the end! 😮 </p><p>Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  I always love hearing what you guys thought!  💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve was quiet as he and Tony made their way towards the elevator, their hands clasped tightly together. His entire body felt numb, the burst of energy he'd felt during his reentry and safe touchdown now completely gone, leaving him wishing for nothing more than to curl up in bed next to Tony and sleep for the next week or so.</p><p>But he couldn't. Not while Peter's life was hanging by only the thinnest of threads.</p><p>And all because of him.</p><p>
  <em>Why, little guy? Why did you have to do that?</em>
</p><p>Pressing the UP button, Steve curled his arm around Tony's shoulders, drawing him close and burying his nose into his hair. At the insistence of Colonel Phillips, both Steve and Tony had showered and changed clothes prior to Steve's discharge from the emergency department, and while the hospital-provided soap wasn't quite as nice as Steve's usual grapefruit shampoo, he still loved the smell of Tony's freshly washed hair.</p><p>"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart," Steve murmured, almost as much for himself as for Tony. He pressed a kiss to Tony's head just as the elevator <em>dinged </em>its arrival, reaching for Tony's hand again as they stepped inside, his fingertip rubbing back and forth along the smooth metal of the ring on Tony's third finger.</p><p>He'd been doing that a lot in the hours since he'd landed, dazed and confused and half mad from thirst and cold, frantic to see his two beloved boys. Aside from the fact that he simply enjoyed seeing his own creation adorning his boyfriend's—<em>fiancé's</em>—finger, to Steve it also reminded him of what Mr Jarvis had often said to Tony, that hope was still stronger than fear.</p><p>And now, faced with the very real possibility that they might lose their son—<em>no, no, I can't think like that!</em>—to Steve the ring was a tactile symbol of that very hope. The three stones in the ring, the blue stone flanked by the two red stones, represented each of them: Steve, Tony, and Peter, with the etched phoenix a symbol of their rebirth as a complete family.</p><p>And any attempt to remove one of them would simply destroy the whole thing.</p><p>There was no way Steve could allow that to happen. He, and Tony as well, simply had to believe that just like their country—no, actually their entire <em>planet</em>—had emerged from its own ashes to be reborn, that Peter could be reborn as well.</p><p>Project Rebirth was very aptly named, as it turned out.</p><p>As soon as the doors closed, Tony tipped his head forward, his forehead resting against Steve's collarbone as his trembling arms wrapped around Steve's waist, squeezing him with every ounce of his strength. As difficult as the last few days had been for Steve, he knew they had been even more so for Tony. He also knew without a doubt that Tony had not yet come to terms with the realisation that he was now dependent on his formerly-disgraced father, the very man who had neglected him for most of his life, to attempt to save their son.</p><p>Intellectually, Steve supposed he could understand why Colonel Phillips chose to keep his emergency plan for Peter a secret from Tony, knowing how Tony would react to the necessity of Howard's involvement. With the colonel being aware of the lack of a qualified paediatric heart surgeon since even before Peter's admission, Steve knew it couldn't have been easy for him to keep that information from Tony, to silently watch as Tony clung desperately to the hope that once they got Project Phoenix up and running, Peter would be fine. Colonel Phillips having a front-row seat to the deconstruction of Howard Stark and the subsequent breakdown of Tony's relationship with Howard couldn't have been very easy either, especially since he knew exactly how Howard was set up to take the fall in the first place.</p><p>And Steve had thought he was good at keeping secrets.</p><p>Emotionally, though, Steve wasn't there quite yet, and he had a feeling it was going to be a long, long time before he was.</p><p>
  <em>This just has to work. It just has to.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Because I honestly don't know what I'll do if it doesn't.</em>
</p><p>Steve trailed his palms up and down Tony's back as they rode up to the paediatric floor, his lips brushing across the soft skin of Tony's neck. Tony had spoken less than three words since Colonel Phillips's bombshell announcement, but Steve could hear his thoughts as if they were being broadcasted country-wide, draping yet another leaden veil of guilt across Steve's shoulders. After Howard's announcement that he was prepared to administer the only remaining dose of the Project Rebirth serum to Peter, he had also informed Steve and Tony that the reason for Peter's sudden downhill spiral was because he was the person responsible for reconstructing JARVIS.</p><p>And Peter had not only managed to rebuild JARVIS practically from scratch in only a few hours, he had also done so by hacking into the Air Corps systems using only Bucky's datapad, and while gradually becoming so weak and hypoxic that it was a miracle he'd been able to think clearly at all.</p><p>He had knowingly risked his own life to save Steve's, under the assumption that he was beyond saving. If anything could be considered more heroic or selfless than that, Steve wasn't aware of it.</p><p>"Steve," Tony whimpered, his fingers fisting into Steve’s t-shirt. "Honey, we can't—we can't lose him. Not now, not after—"</p><p>"Shh, Tony," Steve whispered. <em>Please, don't say things like that!</em> "We're not going to lose him. It's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay."</p><p>
  <em>He has to be okay. He just has to be.</em>
</p><p>And then there was the conversation he and Tony had once had about Steve's serum procedure. Tony had questioned Steve about it purely out of his own scientific curiosity, but now Steve was regretting how candid he'd been with his descriptions. The pain that Steve had endured during his procedure had been excruciating, not something that he would wish on anyone, and he had explained that to Tony—and to Peter, for that matter—not even considering the possibility of their current circumstances.</p><p>The thought of their son having to go through that awful procedure… their sweet boy who loved to draw and climb trees, who had the biggest, most beautiful brown eyes that Steve had ever seen, the exact same shade of brown as his father's… the sweet boy who called Steve 'Papa' having to experience such agonising pain…</p><p>It was taking all of Steve's strength to keep from breaking down completely.</p><p>The fact that Peter was unconscious, sedated, and chemically paralysed so as not to fight against the ventilator as it breathed for him was only a very small consolation.</p><p>And that was if the procedure even worked, which despite assurances from both Colonel Phillips and Howard, Steve knew was not necessarily a given. The serum had been successful with Steve, even more so than Colonel Phillips—and General O'Brien, for that matter—had ever anticipated, but he was still only one person, one test subject. There was no way of knowing if the same effects would be replicated this time around.</p><p>And it was <em>that</em>, the complete lack of another viable option, that was almost worse than the need for the serum itself. They only had one shot, and if it failed…</p><p>Steve pressed another kiss to Tony's cheek as the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open to reveal a pair of guards standing in front of the nurses' station and two more posted down the hall, on either side of the door to Peter's room. Already Steve had overheard various medical personnel whispering about the crowds of reporters that had gathered at the hospital entrances, just waiting to catch a glimpse of the Langaran heroes who had overthrown the military dictatorship and restored peace to the planet. Several members of the Air Corps had already given interviews with Colonel Phillips's blessing, including Carol, John, Cam, and Colonel Rhodes—<em>James</em>, but Sam had warned Steve prior to his discharge that the reporters were all very eager to hear statements from Steve and Tony as well.</p><p>And also Peter, as it seemed word had already gotten out that an eleven-year-old boy—whose twelfth birthday just happened to be in a couple of days—was one of the main masterminds behind the brand-new planetary energy system.</p><p>News traveled fast in a free society, apparently.</p><p>His hand on Tony's shoulder, Steve raised his other hand to knock, then hesitated, not quite mentally prepared for what he might see. Despite Ma's best efforts at caring for him, Peter's condition had already been deteriorating before Steve left on the Phoenix mission, and the thought of him being even worse now, of him being hooked up to even more machines and wires and tubes and not able to interact with Steve or Tony at all, had Steve's chest so tight that he could barely breathe.</p><p>"Steve," said Tony, raspy and desperate as he bounced impatiently on his feet. "Honey—"</p><p>"All right, sweetheart. All right," Steve murmured. He sucked in a deep breath, squeezing Tony's shoulder.</p><p>"I've just gotta see him," Tony whispered. "Got to see him for myself, and—"</p><p>He didn't finish his statement, but Steve got his point anyway. Tony was a visual person. He needed to see with his own eyes that Peter was still alive, and Steve couldn't blame him. Not when almost his entire adult life had been dictated by people who had only wanted to use his son's illness as a weapon to keep him in line.</p><p>Steve rapped his knuckles on the door three times, then stepped back, his belly swooping when Carol opened the door.</p><p>"Hey, Cap, Tony," she said softly as they stepped inside, the sharp smell of disinfectant and the distinctive <em>hiss </em>of the ventilator hitting Steve like a missile to the chest. So many people were crowded around Peter, including Bucky, Sam, Sharon, James, and Ma, that the only part of him that Steve could clearly see were his feet, carefully tucked underneath the blankets.</p><p>"Hey, Carol," Steve said as Tony gave her a short nod. "How's… ah, how's—?"</p><p>"Colonel Phillips and Mr Stark are down prepping the equipment in the procedure room right now," said Carol. "It should only take them about an hour or so, and then…" She paused, biting down on her lip. "Colonel Phillips did tell us that if the Phoenix mission hadn't been successful, there's no way we would've had the necessary power to complete the procedure."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense," Steve replied. His own procedure had drained so much of the country's power that it had caused almost a three-day blackout, and that had been with the full approval of the government. There's no way Colonel Phillips would've been able to store enough power for Peter's use without being discovered.</p><p>"How's he doing?" Tony blurted out, tipping into Steve as soon as the words left his mouth. "My boy, how's—how's—?"</p><p>"He's comfortable, Tony," Carol said, so gently that Steve almost hugged her. "He's not in any pain, both Sharon and Sarah have assured us of that multiple times. As far as Peter knows, he's just in a really deep sleep."</p><p>"That's a huge relief, Carol, thank you," Steve said. He glanced down at Tony, his brown eyes pleading with Steve behind his glasses. "Ahh, do you think it would be okay if we—if Tony and I could—?"</p><p>"Oh, geez, of course," Carol said. "Just give me a sec to kick everyone else out, okay?"</p><p>Steve nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you."</p><p>With a sort of half-smile, Carol hurried over to Ma, whose eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from crying. Steve had seen her down in the emergency department shortly before he was discharged, but after a few minutes he had asked her to return upstairs to be with Peter. Neither Steve nor Tony really trusted anyone else to care for him besides Ma and Sharon.</p><p>He couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for Ma to discover Peter unconscious when she'd already been so worried about him being stranded in space, but Steve knew she would eventually be fine. Ma was one of the strongest people Steve had ever met. There were so many times when she'd managed to keep him alive using nothing more than her sheer force of will.</p><p>"Oh, Steven," she sobbed as she came up to Steve, enveloping him in her arms. "Son, I am so—I'm so sorry. I didn't—I didn't—"</p><p>"You didn't do anything wrong, Ma," Steve murmured as he carefully patted her back. "Tony and I don't blame you for anything."</p><p>"He's right," Tony said, thick and low. "Pete… he—he's never had a grandparent that's really cared about him, about <em>him</em>, so…"</p><p>Ma nodded, wiping her eyes. "He reminds me so much of Steven at this age," she said. "Such a fierce strength of mind, but trapped inside a weak body that's trying to hold him back. And now he'll finally be able to break free from it, just like Steven."</p><p>"I'm pretty sure he's even stronger than me, Ma," Steve said as the rest of the team broke away from Peter's bed, heading towards them.</p><p>"Yes, I'm sure you're right," said Ma. She gave Tony's arm a reassuring pat. "Chester was just here a bit ago to tell us that they're almost ready for him down there, so… we'll let you have a bit of time beforehand, all right?"</p><p>"Thanks," whispered Tony. "For everything."</p><p>"Peter's gonna be okay, Tones," James said as he drew Tony into a tight hug. "He is one tough kid, and you know it."</p><p>"Yeah, I do know it," Tony said. "Thanks."</p><p>"We'll be down in the procedure room if you need us," Sam said, clinging tightly to Bucky's hand. "It has an anteroom where Colonel Phillips said we could observe, as long as that's okay with you guys."</p><p>Steve glanced over at Tony, raising an eyebrow. He loved the fact that his teammates wanted to be there with them to offer their moral support, but only if Tony was comfortable with it.</p><p>"Yeah, that's fine," Tony said. "Thanks."</p><p>"All right. John, Cam, and Majors Lorne and Kowalski are planning on coming too, as long as there's enough space," said Sam. "Figure it can't hurt to have as many people cheering Peter on as possible."</p><p>"That's fine, Sam," said Steve. "Thank you."</p><p>"Sure thing."</p><p>As soon as everyone had filtered out of the room, Steve took Tony's hand, placing it in the crook of his elbow as they stepped over to Peter's bed. He had been trying to prepare himself for what Peter might look like ever since Colonel Phillips had told them what had happened, but as soon as he was truly able to lay eyes on him, all of Steve's mental preparation flew right out the window.</p><p>"Oh, dear gods," Tony rasped, his knees nearly buckling at the sight of their sweet, beloved son lying there, as pale and as still as death itself, his long eyelashes resting against his round cheeks and his skinny chest rising and falling with the measured breaths from the ventilator parked next to the head of the bed. Tears rolled down Tony's face as he reached a trembling hand towards Peter's forehead, brushing his downy-soft curls away. "Oh, my poor sweet boy, I'm so sorry. This isn't—I never wanted any of this to happen."</p><p>"No, Tony, Peter knows that," Steve forced past the knot in his throat. "He's just—"</p><p>"He's just too good for this goddamn world. This world would've tossed him away like trash years ago if they'd had their way," Tony said bitterly. He scrubbed at his eyes, his jaw clenched tight. "This world doesn't deserve what he did for it, doesn't deserve him. None of us deserve him."</p><p>Steve gasped, so dangerously close to losing it himself. "No, sweetheart, <em>please,</em> don't talk like that. Peter loves you so much. Even before I really got to know him I could tell that he adored you beyond words. He was always talking about how smart you are, and how important your work was." He curled his arm around Tony's shoulders, hugging him close. "You're his hero."</p><p>Tony scoffed, shaking his head as he carefully took Peter's hand. "I don't—I don't know about that… You'd think a hero would be able to protect his own kid better than—better than this."</p><p>"But you did," Steve insisted. He brushed his lips along Tony's temple, fighting to contain his own tears. "You fought for him so hard because you believed that he could get better someday. No one else could've done better, sweetheart, absolutely no one. Colonel Phillips told me that Peter would've been gone a long time ago if he hadn't had such a caring father as yourself."</p><p>"Hmph," Tony said, sniffing. He looked up at Steve, his brown eyes glassy. "It was the least I could do for the boy who saved my life."</p><p>Pressing another kiss to Tony's temple, Steve pulled the two chairs shoved against the back wall over to the bed, guiding Tony down into one of them.</p><p>"You've mentioned that a couple times before," he said, his fingertips tracing around Tony's engagement ring. "Can you tell me more about what you mean? How did Peter save you?"</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes, pulling off his glasses as more tears tracked down his cheeks.</p><p>"I was… Steve, I was a piping hot mess," he softly began. "Like a true, no-hope, wanna-end-it-all mess. It'd gotten so bad that not even Rhodey could keep me in line anymore."</p><p>Steve winced, squeezing Tony's hand. Tony had told him a little about his life before Peter was born, about how different he'd been back then, but not all that much, and Steve had never really felt like asking for more specifics than Tony had offered.</p><p>"How bad was it, sweetheart?" he murmured. "I mean, were you—were you—?"</p><p>
  <em>Did you even care if you lived or died?</em>
</p><p>Tony's jaw twitched as he reached for Peter's hand under the blankets, cradling it like a delicate piece of glass.</p><p>"I was… I doubt that I would've lasted another six months, honey." Tony dropped his chin to his chest, self-loathing emanating from him in waves. "The night that I got the call about Peter, I was so drunk that I thought someone was trying to pull one over on me. It wasn't until the doctor called me back for the third time that I finally realised that he wasn't actually trying to bullshit me, but even then… it wasn't until I saw Pete with my own eyes, saw his tiny little self lying there in that bassinet, that I really believed it was true."</p><p>"And you knew he was yours right away, didn't you?" Steve asked. "As soon as you saw him?"</p><p>The slightest of smiles stretched across Tony's lips as he looked at Steve.</p><p>"Yeah, I did," he said. "'Cause as soon as I peered my head over the top of the bassinet, Pete opened his eyes, and he looked up at me with this adorable, tiny baby expression that was something like, 'who the hell are you?' But then once the nurse picked him up and put him in my arms, it was like he already knew me. Even the nurse remarked on how comfortable he seemed with me right away. And his eyes… Steve, they were mine. They were the exact same as mine." He sucked in a sharp breath as another tear slowly made its way down his cheek. "And I knew right there, in that very second, that I would do absolutely <em>anything</em> for him. That I'd tear the whole world apart if I had to, just to keep him safe." He raised his head, locking eyes with Steve. "And, that I'd never, ever make him wonder if I loved him."</p><p>"And I know he's never wondered that for a single moment, Tony," Steve said quickly. "Not a single one."</p><p>"Oh, gods, I hope he hasn't," Tony rushed out. "'Cause I'm pretty sure, no, I'm actually <em>damn</em> sure that if he did, it would kill me. My father, well… you know he wasn't there for me, not even before… not really. He left most of the parenting to Mom, 'cept for the discipline part, and… I know his dad wasn't really there for him either, but… that's not really an excuse, is it?"</p><p>"No, Tony, it's not," Steve said firmly. "There's no excuse for anyone who deliberately neglects their child, I don't care what the circumstances are."</p><p>Tony nodded, his thumb brushing back and forth across Peter's knuckles. "And I had no idea, absolutely no idea on what the hell I was doing with a baby. The mom… she cut off all contact with Pete the moment he was born, and Rhodey, he tried to help me as much as he could, but he didn't really know anything about babies either, and then with Howard right there in the house, but still not really <em>there</em>—it was so hard 'cause even though Pete was the baby, I felt like Howard was even more so, you know? And then Pete, he kept having these spells during the nights where he was just inconsolable. He'd just scream his little head off for hours and hours and hours, and no matter what I did I couldn't seem to get him to calm down… and I felt like I was just spinning my wheels in the dirt, not able to actually get anywhere."</p><p>"So, how did you get him to calm down?" Steve asked. Despite the horrible circumstances, he couldn't help but admit that he was enjoying Tony's story. He loved hearing about what Peter was like when he was little. "What ended up working?"</p><p>"I was at my absolute wits end one night. I hadn't slept in days, Pete was screaming so loud I thought he might shatter the windows, and Howard was ranting around in the living room 'cause he'd run out of whisky again and it was after dark, so no civilians allowed out on the streets. I ended up calling Ms Ana, Mr Jarvis's wife, who actually risked arrest to drive over to the house, and she showed me a trick that she'd learned while working as a nanny."</p><p>"Oh?" Steve said. "And I'm guessing that it worked?"</p><p>"Like a charm," said Tony. "She had me hold Pete against my chest so his ear was pressed right over my heart, and then she took this long piece of cloth and wrapped it around the two of us until he was as snug as a bug in a rug. And then he just sort of relaxed into me. I'd say it was less than three minutes later when he popped his tiny thumb into his mouth and fell asleep."</p><p>"Oh, sweetheart, that sounds almost too sweet for words." Steve immediately conjured up a mental picture of the precious image, filing it into its appropriate compartment so he could attempt to sketch it out later.</p><p>"Yeah, it pretty much was," agreed Tony. He pressed his fist to his chest, right over his heart. "And his little head was right here, close enough for me to kiss him, and he just snuggled right in with his little face tilted up towards me, sucking on his thumb while the rest of his tiny fingers held onto my shirt. At first I was too scared to even move, thinking I'd wake him up again the second I tried to do anything besides just stand there, but after an hour or so I finally chanced it and sat down on the chair in his room. I'd say I was out less than thirty seconds after that."</p><p>"You must've been so relieved," Steve said. "You were so exhausted."</p><p>"Oh yeah, I was. Like so exhausted I was almost psychotic, exhausted," Tony said with wide eyes. "And when I woke up four hours later with my neck all wonky and aching and Pete was still asleep, I actually panicked for a second or two, thinking he was dead."</p><p>"Oh, no!" exclaimed Steve.</p><p>"He wasn't, obviously. He'd just never slept that long in one stretch before, and I didn't know how to handle it. Pretty sure he didn't wake up until he'd finally peed through his diaper."</p><p>"Because he knew he was safe with you, sweetheart," Steve murmured. "He knew that you would always protect him, no matter what."</p><p>"No matter what," Tony said firmly. "I swore to him before I even brought him home that I'd do whatever it took to keep him safe. And I knew I'd make a million mistakes, and I have, 'cause hey, it's me. But I also knew even back then that Pete was something special. That someday, he'd blow us all away."</p><p>"And he did, Tony," said Steve. "Sam told me downstairs, when you were still getting dressed that just about everyone in Langara already knows what Peter did. That he literally saved not only me, but our entire planet. Apparently it's been on the news, now that the news people can actually report the real news, so… Peter's a hero, sweetheart. And everyone knows it."</p><p>Tony's lower lip trembled as he leaned over to kiss Peter's forehead, still clinging to his hand.</p><p>"That's not what he wants," he murmured. "All he wants is to be a normal kid. To go to school, and climb trees, and have sleepovers with his friends. He never wanted to be a hero, Steve. All he wanted was a chance to just be a kid."</p><p>Steve let out a heavy sigh, his fingers trailing up and down Tony's spine. "I know. But now, once he's better, he can have both. He can have whatever he wants, just like you. You both have more than earned it."</p><p>"Yeah," Tony whispered. "I think all three of us have."</p><p>They were quiet for a while, the steady <em>beep beep beep </em>of Peter's heart monitor and the rhythmic <em>hiss </em>of the ventilator the only sounds until Steve heard a rap on the door.</p><p>"Come in?" he said, his belly swooping when Sam walked into the room, followed directly by Bucky, Ma, and Sharon.</p><p>"They're ready for him now," Ma said quietly.</p><p>Steve gave a somber nod as he got to his feet. Then he leaned over, pressing a kiss to Peter's pale cheek.</p><p>"I love you, little guy. You've got this," he whispered before stepping back. A tear rolled down his cheek as he watched Tony smoothe Peter's hair back before kissing his forehead, whispering that he'd see him soon.</p><p>"All right," Steve said, nodding in Ma's direction. "He's ready."</p><p>It felt almost surreal to watch as Ma and Sharon arranged all of Peter's medical equipment and IV lines onto his bed. Once everything was packed up, Sharon climbed up onto the bed next to Peter, manually pushing air into his breathing tube as Sam and Bucky guided the whole thing down the cleared-out hallways and elevator and into the procedure room that Howard and Colonel Phillips had set up in the basement. As soon as they stepped inside and caught sight of Howard, who was barking orders at a couple of electrical technicians like he'd been doing so his entire life, Tony flinched, his hand clutching Steve's so tightly that his fingers started to tingle.</p><p>"It's okay, sweetheart, I've got you," Steve whispered. His own heart was already thudding at the all-too-familiar sights, the memories that he had of that fateful walk into a room very similar to this one slamming to the forefront of his mind. The circular control panel covered with innumerable switches and knobs, the serum infusion device already prepped with the clear blue liquid, and the missile-casing-like capsule for the radiation burst that was apparently the key to making the whole thing work.</p><p>"I imagine this all looks a bit familiar, eh, Captain?" Colonel Phillips said as he suddenly appeared at Steve's left side.</p><p>"Yes, it does," answered Steve. "Never thought I'd ever go through this again." He kept his eyes firmly on Peter as Ma directed Sam and Sharon to lift him into the capsule. The anteroom Sam had mentioned was already almost filled to capacity with Steve's Air Corps teammates, including the entire A-shift, B-shift, and most of the C- and D-shift pilots.</p><p>Almost everyone was there to support them, and it made Steve's heart feel just a little less heavy.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm not surprised," said Colonel Phillips as he shot Steve a wink. "Ah, Howard's asked if he could go over a couple of things with the two of you before we get started. Just a couple of changes that he'd like to make to the regular protocol since Peter is a child who's still growing, rather than a fully-grown man like Steven was here."</p><p>Steve glanced over at Tony, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.</p><p>"Yes, Colonel, that'd be fine," said Steve. "As long as he makes it quick."</p><p>"Well, I'm not exactly sure Howard can make anything quick, but we'll see if he can try, hmm?" said Colonel Phillips.</p><p>"So, was all this stuff just hiding out somewhere all this time?" Tony suddenly blurted out. "'Cause I gotta say, I can't believe there were only ever two doses of it made, so—"</p><p>"No, there weren't only two doses made, Tony," Howard said as he came up next to Colonel Phillips. Steve clenched his jaw, fighting the strong urge to step in front of Tony. "In fact, I made a total of six doses, but somehow only three of them made it into Langaran hands."</p><p>"What?" Steve demanded. "You mean—?"</p><p>"That the so-called Meridian government got their hands on at least half of the created doses?" said Colonel Phillips. "Then you would be correct, Captain. Although apparently their initial experience with the serum wasn't all that great, so they ended up scrapping the whole super-soldier idea altogether."</p><p>"Which then meant that Langara had to as well," Tony muttered, scowling. "Gotta keep the playing field level, right?"</p><p>Colonel Phillips smirked. "Mmm, or something like that. In fact, I had one of my intelligence boys pull some files from a Meridian scientific database just a few hours ago. Apparently someone over there—"</p><p>"Someone," Howard practically spat out. "Yeah, I'm almost positive that it was Pym, Chester. He's the only one stupid enough to do something like that."</p><p>"Something like what, Mr Stark?" Steve snapped. "What're you talking about?"</p><p>"I'm guessing that their guy didn't exactly turn out like Steve here?" asked Tony.</p><p>"No, not exactly," said Colonel Phillips. "Whoever was in charge over there—"</p><p>"Which was Pym," said Howard. "I'm telling you, it had to have been him."</p><p>Colonel Phillips shot Howard a scathing frown. "As I was saying, whoever the scientist was in charge over there thought that instead of choosing some sickly guy on the verge of death to be their super-soldier, that he'd be extra smart and choose someone who was already proven to be strong. Well… what the scientist didn't take into account was the fact that the guy they ended up choosing was already half-mad, and—"</p><p>"And so the serum turned him into a monster," said Tony. His eyes flicked in Howard's direction, his expression almost unreadable. "The serum is supposed to amplify everything inside the recipient, so good becomes better, and bad—"</p><p>"Becomes a whole helluva lot worse," said Colonel Phillips. "Exactly."</p><p>"Hmm," Tony said, warily eyeing his father. "So that's it, right? The dude went from being half-mad to completely cuckoo afterwards?"</p><p>"Yes, it is," Howard said with a nod. "According to the file, the recipient's name was Johann Schmidt."</p><p>"And after this Johann Schmidt went on a murderous rampage trying to take down the Meridian government and ended up destroying millions of credits worth of tech and equipment, both sides secretly came to the agreement that there would be no more pursuit of any super-soldiers, and that all remaining doses of the serum had to be destroyed. We've uncovered some video evidence that verifies this."</p><p>It took Steve only a second for that information to sink in.</p><p>"Wait… so if that's the case, then—?"</p><p>"Then where the hell did this dose come from?" Tony finished.</p><p>Colonel Phillips shifted on his feet, jerking his head towards the infusion setup. "What you can see over there, gentlemen, is the only dose of the super-soldier serum currently in existence," he said. "But it wasn't one that was left over. Howard only finished manufacturing this dose about two weeks ago."</p><p>"<em>What?!"</em> Tony exclaimed, his jaw dropping in shock as Steve's heart did a flip inside his chest. "Colonel, you cannot be serious!"</p><p>"I am always serious, Tony," stated Colonel Phillips. "You of all people should be aware of that."</p><p>"Okay, but Colonel, do you seriously think that this is really what's best for our son?" Steve demanded. He looked over at Howard, anger welling in his gut at the man's expression of mild amusement. "No offence, Mr Stark, but you haven't exactly been up to your usual standards for a very long time. Have you?"</p><p>"What usual standards?" he heard Tony mutter.</p><p>"Mr Stark?" Steve said again. "If we're going to allow you to run this procedure on our son, I'd appreciate an answer to my question."</p><p>The cocky smirk finally dropped from Howard's face as he regarded Steve, his eyes following the line of Steve's arm down to his and Tony's clasped hands.</p><p>"You're absolutely right about that, Captain Rogers," he said quietly. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that most of my life has been a complete waste, leaving me as just another lonely old man." He glanced over at Peter, lying motionless in the capsule waiting for everything to begin, and then looked at Tony, his lower lip twitching slightly. "But yours won't be, Tony. You've got someone here who loves you despite the Stark name that was spoken like a curse for so many years. Despite every single strike that you ever had against you because of me. And so will that boy. Because of what he did, he'll be able to grow up revered as a national hero, and I guess… I guess after everything… it's the least I can do to help ensure that."</p><p>Steve breathed in slowly, trying desperately to hold onto his patience.</p><p>"And that's all very noble of you, Mr Stark," he said. "But it still doesn't answer my question. How can we be assured that this serum is what it needs to be for Peter?"</p><p>"Well… I guess—I guess you can't," Howard finally said with a shrug. "I guess you're just gonna have to trust me."</p><p>"What?" exclaimed Tony. "That's all you can say? That after all these years we're supposed to just blindly trust you to not fuck up the most important thing you've ever done in your entire life?"</p><p>"Colonel, <em>please!"</em> Steve said as he turned to Colonel Phillips. "Do you really think—?"</p><p>"At ease, Captain!" Colonel Phillips snapped. He huffed out a sharp breath, glaring in Howard's direction. "Now, you should know that there is no way I would've been on board with any of this if I didn't think that Howard could provide exactly what we needed, so if you can't seem to find it in yourselves to take his word that the serum will be fine, then take mine instead. Is that understood?"</p><p>Steve's heart was in his throat as he stared into the grizzled colonel's eyes, finding nothing to indicate any deception on his part.</p><p>"Yes, sir," he finally said. He gently squeezed Tony's hand. "It is understood, sir."</p><p>"Well, good. I'm glad we've finally got that taken care of," said Colonel Phillips. "Now, if the two of you are done with your questions, I think we're ready to get started."</p><p>"Um, so you mentioned something about making alterations to the procedure?" asked Tony. "'Cause I was thinking that the radiation burst shouldn't be as long as initially indicated since Pete's not fully grown yet, and—"</p><p>"That's exactly what I was planning to do, Tony," said Howard, rather proudly. "And I've also adjusted the dose of the serum a bit as well. It should just be enough to heal his heart and lungs and any possible brain damage from his hypoxic events. We're not looking to make another super-soldier here."</p><p>There were a few seconds of silence before Colonel Phillips clapped his hands together. "So, are we all good to go here now?"</p><p>Steve looked over at Tony, raising an eyebrow. "Sweetheart? It's your call."</p><p>"Yes," Tony said after a short pause, only slightly wobbly. "You can proceed."</p><p>"All right, we have a go!" Howard called out to the technicians. Steve gulped as people started criss-crossing the room, completing their last-minute preparations. After a final double-check of his ventilator settings, Sharon stepped back from Peter's side, giving Steve an affirmative nod.</p><p>"He's ready, gentlemen," she said. "Once the serum infusion is complete we'll disconnect the ventilator for the radiation burst, which should only be about fifteen seconds long."</p><p>"All right," Tony said as Steve noticed Major Kowalski arriving inside the anteroom, taking the last available chair next to Ma, who was holding onto Bucky's hand.</p><p>"Look, sweetheart," he whispered, jerking his head towards the anteroom. "They're all here to root for Peter."</p><p>Tony's beautiful eyes filled with tears as they scanned down the lines of people filling the small room. "He has that effect on everyone," he said. "He's just that kind of kid."</p><p>"Yeah, don't I know it," Steve said with a wink. Then he tugged on Tony's hand, pulling him back against the far wall as Howard called for everyone's attention.</p><p>"This procedure is going to be divided into two parts," he began. "The first part is the actual serum infusion, which flows into the patient's main muscle groups."</p><p>"Hmph, patient," Tony muttered. "Like that 'patient' isn't the very same grandson that he didn't even give a shit about six months ago."</p><p>"A lot of things have changed since then, sweetheart," said Steve. The twirled the ring encircling Tony's finger. "Haven't they?"</p><p>Tony's lips curled into the slightest of smiles. "Yeah, maybe a few."</p><p>"Once the serum infusion is complete we'll use a small burst of vita ray radiation to stimulate growth and healing," continued Howard. "And once that's done, well… hopefully the results will be pretty obvious by then." He glanced over at Steve and Tony, giving them a single nod before turning his attention to Sharon, who was monitoring the infusion system.</p><p>"Let's begin. Serum infusion beginning in five… four… three… two… one… mark."</p><p>The sound of the flipping switch echoed throughout the vast basement laboratory, causing Tony to jump as the blue solution began flowing into Peter's arms, legs, and torso. Steve grunted, his fingers tightening around Tony's as he recalled the feel of the freezing-cold liquid burning its way throughout his body, following the paths of his main muscle fibres.</p><p>"Steve—" Tony whimpered. "Honey—"</p><p>"This part didn't hurt, sweetheart," Steve said, biting down on his bottom lip. That wasn't exactly the truth, but… "And Peter can't feel anything right now, remember?"</p><p>"I know that," Tony said. "But, damnit, <em>I </em>still can."</p><p>"It'll be over soon," Steve whispered. "I promise, it'll all be over soon."</p><p>As soon as the serum infusion was completed, Sharon hurried back to Peter's side, removing the infusion apparatus and disconnecting the ventilator. Then she closed the sides and the top of the capsule, sealing Peter inside.</p><p>"Oh, holy shit," Tony rasped. "Steve, she just—she just completely locked him inside there, and—"</p><p>"This is the last part, sweetheart," Steve said. He suppressed a shudder at the memory of being sealed up inside that scary metal thing that had felt way too much like a coffin for his comfort.</p><p>
  <em>Thank the gods that Peter's not awake for any of this.</em>
</p><p>"He's ready, Mr Stark," Sharon said as she attached the radiation hose and backed away, counting the seconds on her timepiece. "We've got thirty seconds before he'll need another breath."</p><p>"Then we best get started," said Howard. He pointed towards one of the electrical techs, then checked his own timepiece. "Vita ray commencement on my mark. Mark."</p><p>"It's gonna get really bright now, Tony," Steve warned, his arms pebbling with goosebumps as the familiar whirring noise of the radiation machine began its thundering crescendo. As the basement grew brighter he attempted to cover Tony's eyes, only for his hand to be batted away.</p><p>"Tony—"</p><p>"I'm all right, damnit," snapped Tony. "I need to watch him."</p><p>"All right, all right," Steve said, fighting against the urge to scream as the white light grew even brighter still. This was so much harder than going through it himself.</p><p>"We're at forty percent," Howard said, his eyes glued on the dials in front of him. "Fifty… sixty… seventy… that's eighty percent…"</p><p>He felt Tony's hand suddenly jerk in his own as Howard called out ninety percent. "Steve, honey, you're squeezing my hand too hard—"</p><p>"Oh gods, I'm so sorry." He rubbed Tony's fingers in apology before moving his hand to the crook of his arm. "We're almost there—"</p><p>"We're now at one hundred percent," Howard called as the entire room shook like an earthquake, the rest of lights flickering. "Five… four… three… two… one… stop! Kill the reactor!"</p><p>The machine shut down like the ebb of an aircraft engine after landing, fading into an eerie silence as the entire crowd, including Steve and Tony, held its collective breath.</p><p>"Well, don't just leave him in there, goddamnit!" Tony shouted after about three more heartbeats. "Get him out!"</p><p>Howard nodded, his expression almost stunned as he gestured towards Sharon. "Ms Carter, if you will?"</p><p>"Yes, yes," Sharon said as she quickly detached the radiation hose and unsealed the container only a second before Peter violently jerked, gasped, and immediately began to choke.</p><p>"Pete!" Tony shrieked as he rushed towards him, only to be stopped by Sharon's raised palm.</p><p>"Not yet, Mr Stark! First I need to—"</p><p>"No!" yelled Tony. "I need—I need to get to him, I need—!"</p><p>"He's choking on his endotracheal tube, Mr Stark!" Sharon said firmly as Steve drew Tony back a few steps. "If you'll just give me a couple seconds to remove it, he should be fine."</p><p>"Just please do it quickly, Sharon!" Steve said, his heart nearly tearing in two at Peter's panicked gasps. "Please, he's terrified, and—!"</p><p>"Got it!" Sharon said as she yanked out the tube. She quickly shrank back, allowing Steve and Tony to rush to Peter's side as his body began to relax, his eyes slowly blinking open.</p><p>"Oohh," Steve whispered as he looked Peter up and down, his throat tightening as he realised that the procedure had actually worked.</p><p>Peter looked exactly like he did in Steve's drawing.</p><p>The serum had healed him.</p><p>While he was still slight of build, no longer did Peter's face and body carry the sickly, hollowed-out look of chronic illness. His cheeks were fuller and more peachy in tone instead of their recent stark-white, the dark purple circles under his eyes had vanished, as had the bluish tint to his lips and fingertips, and while his arms and legs were still relatively thin, they were no longer as thin as brittle sticks, in danger of snapping from only a stiff breeze.</p><p>"Hey, buddy!" Tony murmured, his brown eyes shiny with tears as he took Peter's hand. "How're you feeling?"</p><p>For a moment Peter didn't respond, his wide eyes flicking around the room in confusion before landing on Tony.</p><p>"Daddy," he whispered, his voice a bit raspy and soft, but still stronger than it had been before the Phoenix mission.</p><p>"Yeah, buddy, I'm here," Tony said, gently stroking his cheek. "Everything's okay, Pete. You're safe now."</p><p>"Mmm," Peter mumbled as he dragged his gaze over to Steve, his eyes widening in shock as they took him in.</p><p>"Papa?" he said, his full lips curling into a stunned smile. "Papa, you're—you're home! You made it home!"</p><p>Steve's heart lurched so painfully that he almost cried out. "Yeah, little guy, I'm home," he said as he took Peter's other hand. "You brought me home."</p><p>"Pete, how're you feeling?" asked Tony. "Are you in any pain?</p><p>"How—how I'm feeling… um…" Peter paused as he glanced around the basement room again, lingering for a second or two on Howard, then moving to the crowd of people looking down at them from the anteroom.</p><p>"Um… I'd say… confused? What's—um… what just happened?"</p><p>"Just… first tell us how you feel, little guy, okay?" Steve begged. "We can explain everything to you after that."</p><p>"Uhh." Peter licked his lips, his fingers clenching and unclenching rather strongly around Steve's as he drew in a deep breath and let it slowly out.</p><p>"I feel—I feel… good. Like I can actually breathe for once," he finally said. Then he frowned, glancing down at his chest. "What happened? Did I have my surgery?"</p><p>"No, buddy, it wasn't the surgery," Tony said. "It was—it was something even better."</p><p>"I should check Peter's vital signs, Captain," Sharon said as she came up next to Steve. "If you don't mind."</p><p>"Oh, sure," Steve said. He stepped back, still holding onto Peter's hand as Sharon listened to his heart and lungs and checked his pulse, smiling and patting his shoulder once she was finished.</p><p>"I've never heard you sound this clear, Peter," she said. "Mr Stark, I'd still recommend that he stay overnight, and we should probably run some scans on his heart to make sure that it's structurally intact, but—"</p><p>"I've already made arrangements for all that, Ms Carter," said Colonel Phillips as he stepped up next to Tony. "Scans and tests first, then a private room that should be big enough for the three of them."</p><p>"Thank you, sir," Steve said. "We all appreciate that very much."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, just don't tell anyone, okay?" Colonel Phillips said with a wink. "Can't have anything threatening my reputation."</p><p>Out of the corner of his eye Steve noticed Howard hanging back, shifting from foot to foot as all of Steve's teammates rushed past him to get to Peter, offering their thanks and congratulations. Steve stepped back once Ma and Bucky arrived, allowing them to take his place while he walked over to Howard.</p><p>"Thank you, Mr Stark," he said, offering the older man his hand. "Thank you for saving our son."</p><p>"Ours," Howard said as he shook Steve's hand with a rather hesitant grip. "I'm sure Tony never thought he'd be saying that."</p><p>"I'm sure Tony never thought he'd be doing a lot of things," Steve said evenly. "But yet, here we are."</p><p>"Yes, I guess so." Howard cleared his throat, glancing at Tony who hadn't budged a centimetre from Peter's side. "He deserves only the best, Captain Rogers, and I'm pretty sure he's found it with you. Take care of him. Take care of them both."</p><p>Steve swallowed hard, squaring his shoulders. "I will, Mr Stark. That's a promise."</p><hr/><p>"All right, Pete, don't you think you've had enough?" Tony asked, watching with wide eyes as Peter devoured his sixth peanut butter sandwich. It'd been so long since Tony had seen him eat with such gusto that he felt a bit bad telling him to slow it down, but the last thing he wanted was for Peter's stomach to suddenly revolt and send it all right back up again.</p><p>"Mmm, I guess," Peter said. He popped the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth, washing it down with half a bottle of superwater as Tony met Steve's eyes, giving him a questioning shrug.</p><p><em>I dunno, </em>said Tony's answering shrug. All of Peter's heart and lung scans had come back completely normal, and both Sarah and Sharon had checked his vital signs numerous times since the procedure and pronounced him perfectly fine, but both Tony and Steve could tell that something was still a bit… off.</p><p>Peter was definitely healthy, that much was clear. It was just that he almost seemed… <em>too </em>healthy.</p><p>"Why don't you get your pjs on and brush your teeth now, yeah?" Tony suggested, covering his mouth as a yawn suddenly attacked out of nowhere. "'Cause I don't know about you, but Papa's still pretty wiped out, so he needs to get some sleep."</p><p>"And so does Dad," Steve said with a frown. "Because I know he didn't sleep hardly at all while I was gone."</p><p>"No, I'm sure he didn't," Peter said. He quickly downed the rest of his superwater and crawled off the bed, grabbing a set of the pyjamas Sarah had brought for him before walking across the massive suite towards the attached bathroom. Phillips had explained that this had been General O'Brien's suite, held in reserve on the topmost floor of the hospital on the off chance that he would require a hospital admission, and Tony personally found it hilarious that Phillips had chosen to allow the three of them to use it while O'Brien was now busy cooling his heels in a concrete cell inside the Air Corps brig. The suite, which was designed to look more like a luxury apartment rather than a hospital room, sported gold-plated door handles, silk and linen bedding and curtains, solid mahogany furniture, and a bathroom that was larger than Steve's entire barracks room, complete with a bathtub that could easily fit two grown men with plenty of room to spare, and a separate shower.</p><p>And it had only been used a total of three times in the last twenty-eight years.</p><p>As soon as the bathroom door closed behind Peter, Steve leaned in. "Do you really think he's okay? I know all the scans and tests and stuff said he was, but… you know him better than anyone."</p><p>Tony tilted his head, eyeing the bathroom door warily. "Well, he definitely <em>seems </em>okay, at least physically. I mean, I haven't seen him eat like that in years, and both your ma and Sharon have said that everything looks good, so… why? Have you noticed something?"</p><p>Steve sighed, his worry wrinkle on full display. "I don't know. When he first woke up I noticed right away that his grip seemed pretty strong, and it seems like his hearing is a bit more sensitive too." He dropped his head, letting out a heavy sigh. "I know your father said that he wasn't going to turn Peter into a super-soldier, but I'm starting to wonder if he did anyway. Maybe not quite to my extent, but… if he's still growing, Tony, then—"</p><p>"Yeah, I get what you're saying." Tony slid off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. He'd noticed that Peter's hearing seemed a bit more heightened as well, and there was also the fact that he'd said he could smell his peanut butter sandwiches almost a full minute before Bucky had arrived with them.</p><p>"Well, if having some heightened senses and strength is the trade-off for keeping him alive, then I'll take it," said Tony. He grimaced as another yawn overtook him, one so big it made his eyes water. He <em>was </em>tired, and that bed sure looked comfortable.</p><p>"Me too," Steve said. "I just…"</p><p>"You just… what?" Tony asked. "What're you worried about?"</p><p>Steve shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant and failing completely. "I don't know."</p><p>"No, don't try and give me that, I know you too well." Tony reached for Steve's hand, brushing his fingertips across his knuckles. "Tell me what you're worried about."</p><p>"I don't want him to ever be targeted by anyone," Steve blurted out. "I mean, I know we just overthrew our corrupt government and now we'll probably have at least a few years of peace—"</p><p>"Hopefully longer than a few years, hon," Tony cut in. "I'm personally hoping for a few generations."</p><p>"Yeah, that’d be nice," agreed Steve. "But if something were to happen again, then… it would kill me if some evil or corrupt government decided to go after Peter just because they knew he was so much smarter and stronger than the average person."</p><p>Tony brought Steve's hand to his lips, kissing the back of it as he tried to figure out how to respond. Steve's fear was completely valid, and honestly something that Tony's exhausted mind hadn't even come up with. But it was also—or at least he hoped—very unlikely.</p><p>"The thing is, honey, it's perfectly understandable to be scared for your kid," he began. "I was constantly terrified for Pete, especially with him growing up in the middle of a war. Before he was too sick to go to school, I used to worry about him all damn day while he was gone, thinking that a stray bomb would miss its target one day and hit the school instead, or something like that. And then once he started staying home all the time, I'd worry that he'd just stop breathing and die before I could get home. And I hate to tell you this, but the fear doesn't exactly go away. Just 'cause Pete's heart is fixed now doesn't mean that I'm done worrying about him. You just… kinda learn to live with it. Otherwise you'll just be paralysed from it all the time."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense," Steve said softly. He attempted a smile. "I should've known you would understand, since you're the master at fathering."</p><p>"Oh gods, Steve, I am <em>not,"</em> protested Tony. "I just… have a few years of experience on you, that's all."</p><p>"Well, we might just have to agree to disagree on that one," Steve said with a chuckle. "But I'm thinking if Peter does turn out to have some heightened senses and strength, that I should try and help him adjust to them a little. It's not easy to get used to having those sudden abilities."</p><p>Tony smiled. "Well, you'd be the perfect person for that." Then he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Steve's lips, frowning at the bathroom door once he pulled away. "Don't you think Pete's been in there for awhile?"</p><p>"Yes, he has," said Steve. Barely a second later he had slid off the bed and had almost reached the bathroom door when it suddenly flew open.</p><p>"Papa?" Peter exclaimed, confused when he saw Steve looming over him. "Um… are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, little guy, I'm fine," Steve answered. "Dad and I just—"</p><p>"We were just wondering why you were taking so long," Tony called from the bed. "Everything okay?"</p><p>Peter's cheeks immediately flushed pink, and he winced. "Uhh, yeah. I just… when I went to brush my teeth, I guess I kinda squeezed the toothpaste tube a bit harder than I needed to, and it… well… it kinda exploded, so then I had to clean it up. Sorry."</p><p>"Oh!" Tony croaked, clapping his hand over his mouth to hide his chuckle. <em>The poor kid!</em> "Good grief, bud, that's okay! You're not quite used to having your strength back yet."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess," Peter said with a shrug. "I also think that I popped a couple stitches in my pyjama shirt when I put it on, so…"</p><p>"That's all right, little guy," Steve said, relieved. "Just come to bed now, okay? You have to be exhausted."</p><p>"Uh huh." He made a beeline for the massive bed, burrowing down under the covers in the very centre and closing his eyes. Colonel Phillips had been right when he'd said that the room would be big enough for the three of them, but Tony hadn't assumed that he'd meant that the actual bed was as well.</p><p>"Are you guys coming?" Peter mumbled, opening one sleepy eye. "I don't—I don't really wanna be alone in here. This bed's way too big for just me."</p><p>Tony's heart soared. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to cuddle with Peter while he slept.</p><p>"Absolutely, little guy," Steve said as he smoothed his hair back. "Just give Dad and me a few minutes to get ready, okay?"</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>Following Steve into the massive bathroom, Tony couldn't help but glance longingly at the elevated bathtub tucked over in the far corner, just sitting there unused.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure our new house has a nice bathtub," Steve whispered as his hands slid around Tony's waist, pulling him back against Steve's chest. "It's not as big as that one, but I'm still hoping that you'll enjoy it with me."</p><p>"You're damn right I will, honey," Tony murmured. He let out a soft moan as Steve's lips teased his neck, just below his ear. <em>Gods, </em>it felt good.</p><p>"I'd say this has been a pretty hectic day, don't you think?" Steve said. "I'm really looking forward to taking you and Peter home."</p><p>"Home. That sounds like a plan," Tony murmured. He spun around, winding his arms around Steve's neck. "Damn, but you really scared the hell out of me! Don't you ever do that again!"</p><p>"I won't. I'm sorry," Steve whispered, just before capturing Tony's lips. It was a quick kiss, as they were both practically asleep on their feet, but it still was enough to send a burst of tingly warmth through Tony's exhausted body.</p><p>"No, no, none of that," Tony said once they broke apart. "You know it wasn't your fault."</p><p>"I know that part wasn't," Steve said. "But, Tony, we almost lost Peter, and—and that was because of me, and—what if your father hadn't been able to make that serum, then—?"</p><p>"Honey, please, just stop, okay?" pleaded Tony. "None of that matters anymore. You're back, Pete's okay, O'Brien and his goons are all locked up, and tomorrow we'll get to take Pete home. I'm not sure how else I can frame it, but that all sounds pretty good to me."</p><p>Steve smiled, so widely that his dimple, which had been missing in action ever since before he left, finally reappeared.</p><p>"That sounds great to me," he said. "I can't wait."</p><p>After quickly brushing their teeth and changing into sleeping clothes, they were just about to crawl in next to a sound-asleep Peter when Steve's datapad began to beep, indicating an incoming message.</p><p>"Oh gods, what now?" Tony groaned as Steve retrieved the datapad, his nose scrunching in confusion as he read the message.</p><p>"What? What is it?"</p><p>"It's from Colonel Phillips," answered Steve. "Apparently his men finally located Hank Pym."</p><p>"Oh really? Howard's gonna love that," said Tony. "Where'd they find him?"</p><p>Steve's frown grew even deeper. "Well, that's the weird part. It says here that they found him hiding inside an empty salt shaker, but… I have to think it's got to be a joke, because… a grown man just can't hide inside a salt shaker, right?"</p><p>"Not in any salt shaker that I've ever seen," Tony said with wide eyes. "But have you ever known Phillips to joke about something like that?"</p><p>"No. Never," said Steve. "So… you really think it's true, then? Pym is a scientist. Maybe he had some kind of shrinking tech or something?"</p><p>Tony shrugged as he crawled under the covers next to Peter, snuggling up as close as he dared without waking him. "With Pym, I s'pose anything's possible. But as long as Phillips doesn't need you to do something about it right this second, I suggest that we go to sleep before we both just keel over. Yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," Steve said. He gave his head a light shake before setting the datapad aside, settling in on Peter's opposite side and draping his arm across Peter's waist. "I'm sure we'll hear all about it in the morning."</p><p>"Mmm, long as it's in the morning," Tony mumbled, already half asleep. He felt Steve's fingers weave into his hair, his fingertips pressing against his scalp in just the way that he loved. "Oh gods, babe, that feels amazing."</p><p>"Good," Steve whispered. "I love you, Tony. We did it. We won."</p><p>"Yeah, we sure did, honey," Tony whispered back. "And I love you too."</p><hr/><p>"Mr Stark! Mr Stark! How many total credits were spent on Project Phoenix? Did the Meridian government cover any of the cost?"</p><p>"Captain Rogers, how close were you to dying up there in space?"</p><p>"Mr Stark! Do you have any comments on your father's vindication from his arrest for treason following the Battle of the Continents?"</p><p>Tony cringed, clutching Peter's shoulder and Steve's hand even tighter as Sam and Bucky attempted to clear a path for them through the throng of reporters and news cameras crowded outside of the hospital entrance. Colonel Phillips had warned them that the news people had been camping out at the various hospital doors in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Langaran heroes, but Tony hadn't quite understood the scale of it until they stepped outside and were immediately bombarded with camera flashes and shouted questions.</p><p>"Mr Stark! Do you plan on continuing to work for the Air Corps now that General O'Brien has been arrested?"</p><p>"Captain Rogers! Can you describe what space is like in ten words or less?"</p><p>"Captain Rogers! Do you have any plans to run for political office?"</p><p>"Peter Stark! Look this way, please! We need to get a photograph!"</p><p>"You will absolutely <em>not</em> be taking any pictures of our son!" Steve snapped, holding his hand over the photographer's camera lens. "Not without our permission, is that understood?"</p><p>Tony watched as the photographer gulped and nodded, backing away just as another leapt forward and snapped a picture right in Peter's face.</p><p>"Daddy," Peter whimpered, his hands clamped around his ears like his head was about to explode. "Daddy, why're they all screaming at us? It's too loud, why do they have to be so loud?"</p><p>"They're just really excited to see you, bud," Tony grumbled, grunting as yet another camera flashed in his face. "Just keep your head down, okay? We're almost to Uncle Sam's car."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said. He flinched as yet another reporter called out his name, burrowing down behind Tony's arm. "Daddy, I don't—I don't wanna talk to them. Too loud… it's too loud… I can't… I don't wanna—"</p><p>"Then you don't have to, little guy," Steve said firmly. He placed his own hands over Peter's ears, partially covering his eyes as he followed Bucky and Sam to the parking lot. "You just dive right into the car, okay? Uncle Sam will have us out of there in no time."</p><p>Thankfully, Steve was right, and it was only about thirty seconds later that they reached the car, slamming the doors against the din of noise.</p><p>"Are you okay, bud?" Tony asked as he slid his arm around Peter's shoulders, tucking him close.</p><p>Peter nodded, his eyes still tightly closed. "Just… way too loud. Hurts my ears. Way too bright too. It's like I could hear the cameras flashing."</p><p>Tony sighed, glancing up at Steve. It was starting to look more and more like he'd been right about Peter's senses.</p><p>"Well, hopefully we won't have to do that again anytime soon, okay, little guy?" Steve said.</p><p>"Eh, I wouldn't count on that quite yet," said Sam as he slid into the driver's seat. "From what Colonel Phillips told us, now that they're allowed to actually report the news, the news people probably won't stop hounding you guys for awhile."</p><p>"Well, then it's a good thing that I asked for a gate to be installed at our new house," said Steve. "Hopefully that'll be enough to keep them out. I don't mind giving an interview or two when the time is right, but there's no need for anyone to bother us at our home."</p><p>Tony's eyebrows shot up. He knew Steve had signed the lease on the lake house before he'd left on the Phoenix mission, but Tony hadn't counted on them being able to move in so quickly.</p><p>"Steve, really?" he said. "We get to move in there already?"</p><p>"We do," Steve said, smiling widely. "Since it's Peter's birthday tomorrow, I specifically asked if we could move in right away."</p><p>"Move in where?" asked Peter as he lifted his head, his eyebrows scrunched together. "We got a new house?"</p><p>"We did, little guy," Steve said happily. "And I can't wait for you and Dad to see it."</p><p>"Yeah, no kidding," Bucky piped up from the passenger seat. "Hey, Sam? How come you didn't get me a nice big house on a lake, hmm?"</p><p>"You keep shooting off your mouth like that and I'll toss you right into that lake when we get there," Sam retorted. He shot Bucky a wink, squeezing his knee. "Something tells me that we might be spending a bit of time there on occasion, though, long as you guys don't mind. It sure is a nice place."</p><p>"Well, it is a certain little guy's birthday tomorrow," Steve said. "I was hoping you guys could all come over and help us celebrate. I’m even going to bake him a cake."</p><p>Sam laughed as he made the turn onto the older, country road that led to the lake. "Mmm, cake. Yeah, that definitely sounds good."</p><p>"Oh yeah, it does!" exclaimed Peter. "And does the new house have any trees?"</p><p>"Only the best climbing trees that I've ever seen, buddy," Tony said. He ruffled Peter's hair, trying hard to contain his emotions. Over the past few days he had cried enough tears to last a lifetime, but still they insisted on coming. "And Papa and I can't wait to see you climb 'em."</p><p>"And there's a huge garage for you and Dad to work in, and I even asked Colonel Phillips to set up a mini art studio for us," said Steve. "With some real canvases and paints. How does that sound?"</p><p>Peter's eyes went so wide Tony was afraid they would pop out of his head. "Whoa!" he said. "I don't think I've ever seen any real paints!"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure you haven't bud," said Tony. In a war-torn society, art and music were never given much of a priority, and Tony was thrilled that Peter had Steve now to encourage and help develop his artistic talent.</p><p>Plus, Tony couldn't wait to start tinkering again, to lose himself in a project just because it was fun. It'd been years since he'd had the time.</p><p>"We thought we'd pick you guys up tomorrow morning after breakfast and take you to the base, let you clear out your room at the barracks," Sam said. "And I'm pretty sure your bike is still parked out there too."</p><p>"And Tony's car," said Steve. "That sounds good, Sam. Thank you."</p><p>"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm keeping a tab."</p><p>Tony and Steve both laughed. "I'm sure you are," said Tony.</p><p>"Yeah, Uncle Sam always knows who owes who what," said Peter. "We should start calling him the human ledger or something."</p><p>"Well, someone's gotta keep this guy in line," Sam said, jerking his head towards Bucky. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he still owes Steve for those drink rounds we had way back when."</p><p>"Hey now!" protested Bucky. "Whose side are you on here?"</p><p>If anyone would've told Tony six months ago that he'd be happily trading verbal jabs with not one but two hotshot Air Corps pilots, Tony would've laughed in their face. Loudly.</p><p>And now here he was, not only trading jabs with said pilots, but about to marry another. The pilot who not only saved their planet, he also completely stole Tony's heart.</p><p>And Peter, the son he loved more than his own life, was not only healed, he was a national hero.</p><p>It was almost too much for Tony to wrap his mind around, but he sure didn't mind trying.</p><p>"Oh, <em>Steve!"</em> Tony gasped as the house came into view. Steve had obviously arranged for it to get a new paint job and some new landscaping as well, as it looked almost brand-new as Sam pulled into the driveway.</p><p>"It's—it looks—"</p><p>"It looks like home!" Peter exclaimed, nearly knocking Steve onto his ass in his haste to scramble out of the car, his brown eyes wide with awe and wonder as they took everything in. "Papa, it's <em>beautiful!</em> I love it!"</p><p>"I'm so glad you like it, little guy," Steve said happily. "I hope we'll all be really happy here together."</p><p>"Don't think you have to worry about that, honey," Tony murmured. He came up next to Steve, who curled his arms around both his and Peter's shoulders, hugging them to his sides as they all gazed across the lake, and the water rippling lightly in the breeze.</p><p>Closing his eyes, Tony breathed in, absorbing the sounds and smells of the lake and the trees and the gentle wind, and the drop-dead gorgeous man standing next to him. For the first time in his life, Tony could truly say that he was content. His son was healthy, he had a man that he loved beyond words, and he finally had a real home to call his own.</p><p>Like a phoenix, he had been reborn.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>Come say hi to me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there 😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t believe we’re so close to the end!</p><p>And I also can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit the kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I can’t believe we’ve reached the final chapter!  I can’t thank you all enough for coming along on this ride with me, and sharing all of your wonderful and encouraging comments!  💖 </p><p>And an extra-huge thanks to @therollingstonys for all of the beautiful moodboards, and to @allthesinnersandthesaints for being such a wonderful beta!  💖</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p>"And after you walk me to my seat, you'll continue on up the centre of the aisle while Steven and Tony enter in from their opposite sides," Grandma said as she helped Peter tighten the knot on his tie. "Then all three of you will be up there together while your dads say their vows."</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said, wincing slightly as Grandma fixed a slight wrinkle in the knot. "Sounds good."</p><p>"All right." With a final fidget, Grandma stepped back, smiling as she looked Peter over from head to toe. "Oh, my sweet boy, you're just so handsome," she said as she cupped Peter's cheek in her hand. "A true heartbreaker."</p><p>Peter's eyebrows twitched. "Um, thanks. I hope that's a good thing."</p><p>"Oh, it is. Trust me," Grandma said wistfully. "Your grandfather Joseph was definitely a heartbreaker. And Steven is as well, as I'm sure your father would agree." She chuckled at Peter's obviously confused expression. "It just means you're extremely good-looking, dear. Nothing more ominous than that."</p><p>"Oh," Peter said. <em>That's still kinda weird, though.</em> "Well, thanks for helping me get ready. I'm still not really used to wearing suits."</p><p>Grandma patted his shoulder. "It's not a problem at all, dear. Now, I think we have about fifteen minutes before we're due to begin. Do you still have your papa's ring?"</p><p>Peter patted his right jacket pocket, the ring he'd helped Dad make for Papa sitting right where he'd put it.</p><p>"Yep. It's in here."</p><p>"Okay, good," said Grandma. "Then I'm going check on how the caterer's doing right quick, all right?"</p><p>"Uh huh." The delicious scents that'd been wafting up from the kitchen for the last twenty minutes or so were already making Peter’s stomach rumble, despite the fact that he'd just had a pretty big snack right before he got ready.</p><p>As Dad and Papa loved to joke, apparently Peter's appetite was trying to make up for a lot of lost time. Peter had always been able to eat a ton, or at least he had before his bum heart made him almost too weak to eat. But ever since he woke up in that metal tube down in the basement lab at the hospital, his appetite had been about a thousand times bigger than usual.</p><p>He could now easily out-eat Papa, which, according to Dad, was supposed to be just about impossible.</p><p>And it wasn't just Peter's food intake that had skyrocketed. Thanks to a battery of tests that Dad and Papa had developed—along with a bit of input from Grandpa—they had determined that Peter was now almost as strong as Papa as well.</p><p>In fact, Peter could already beat Papa in arm wrestling at least half the time, and Dad was figuring that Peter's strength would only increase as he continued to grow.</p><p>Despite his grandfather's best efforts to just heal his messed-up heart and lungs with the serum, Peter was now officially an enhanced human like Papa, with the heightened strength, senses, and appetite to prove it.</p><p>And also the three broken drawer handles in the kitchen, so many exploding tubes of toothpaste that he had lost count, two broken seatbelts in Uncle Sam's car, and no less than three torn shoelaces.</p><p>It was that reason—amongst a few others that Peter didn't really enjoy discussing—that had led to Dad and Papa's decision to keep Peter out of school until the beginning of the new calendar year, rather than send him back at the beginning of the school year. Not only were they still getting daily phone calls from reporters and news agencies asking to interview Peter a whole nine weeks after Papa's safe return from space, Dad and Papa also wanted to make sure that Peter had as much of a handle on his new abilities as possible before he was put into what they were calling "a potentially stressful situation". While Papa's super strength was no longer much of a secret, Peter's dads wanted to ensure that his own enhancements remained a secret for as long as possible, which meant that Peter actually had to practise how to act normal.</p><p>Which, as it turned out, was a lot easier said than done. Going from being practically bedridden and unable to do much on his own to being able to lift the front of Dad's car with one hand to retrieve a fallen tool had not been all that easy to adjust to.</p><p>But, Peter was managing. They were all managing, because they all had each other to lean on. Along with his arm-wrestling sessions, Peter was also accompanying Papa on most of his morning runs—sometimes with Uncle Sam as well—and joining him in the exercise room at the base, where he and Peter would spend hours driving their gloved fists into a hanging canvas bag filled with sand. Besides helping Peter discover the limits of his strength and endurance, it was just a lot of fun to be able to be out and about again.</p><p>All of the exercise helped to tire him out too, which Dad and Papa were hoping would help drive some of Peter's persistent bad dreams away. So far it'd only been working about half the time, but that was still better than nothing.</p><p>Peter scrunched up his nose as he gave his reflection a final once-over, tugging on the tight collar of his dress shirt. He couldn't understand how Papa could tolerate wearing a suit and tie as often as he did. Peter had barely been wearing his for five minutes and he already felt like he was choking.</p><p>Oh well. It was still a very small price to pay for getting to watch his dads get married, an event that Peter had had no intentions of ever being able to witness.</p><p>Deciding that he looked halfway-decent enough, Peter picked up his new camera—a birthday present from Uncle James and Auntie Carol—and headed down the hall towards the guest bedroom, where he suspected Papa was probably pacing back and forth while he waited for his cue to head downstairs for the ceremony. Like many military men—and Auntie Carol too, apparently—Papa was used to getting dressed very quickly, whereas Peter figured Dad was more likely to be pacing back and forth inside the master bedroom still only wearing his underwear and socks.</p><p>Aside from the whole getting dressed up part, and the reason for it, Peter still wasn't quite used to the fact that their new house even had a "guest bedroom", much less one that was almost twice the size of his old bedroom at Grandpa's house. Peter's bedroom in the new house was huge too, complete with its own bathroom and two full sets of windows since it sat on the back corner of the house. The master bedroom, which was the largest, sat on the opposite back corner, and was so spacious that when they first toured the house after Peter's release from the hospital, Dad joked that he was afraid he was going to get lost in it.</p><p>It did make Peter wonder how Papa could even afford such a house, as even his Air Corps housing allowance shouldn't have been high enough to cover it, but Peter figured that it probably had something to with how the three of them helped save the planet.</p><p>Or something like that.</p><p>Peter's shiny new dress shoes clacked against the polished wood floor as he arrived at the closed door of the guest room, pressing his ear up against it. Just as he'd suspected, he could hear Papa's steady footsteps pacing back and forth, his thumbs probably hooked on the belt loops of his perfectly-pressed uniform pants. Peter had noticed that whenever Papa was on his feet, he either had his fingers bracketing his belt buckle, his hands on his hips like he was about to chastise someone—usually accompanied by what Dad liked to call his worry wrinkle—or he was leaning against the wall or door frame with either his arms crossed in front of him or his hands stuffed into his front pockets, a pose that Dad lovingly referred to as "the papa pose".</p><p>He could also hear the faint din of the television, currently broadcasting the trial of Hank Pym. Peter had learned in the last nine weeks that Papa always liked to know what was going on, something he called "minding his surroundings". And while it may have been a bit much for Papa to be keeping watch over the treason trial of such a miserable, bitter man on his own wedding day, Peter wasn't about to chastise him for it. It's not like it was hurting anyone.</p><p>His lips curling into an anticipatory smile, Peter rapped on the door.</p><p>"Come in?" Papa said, his nervous face lighting up when Peter stepped inside. "Hey, little guy! Wow, don't you look sharp!"</p><p>"Thanks, Papa," Peter said, his eyes going wide as they took Papa in. Dad had told Peter so many times how hot he thought Papa looked in his uniform, and Peter did have to admit that Papa was very handsome in it.</p><p>A true heartbreaker, as Grandma would apparently call him.</p><p>"You look really nice too," Peter said. "You know Dad's not gonna know what hit him when he sees you. He always loves it when you wear your super-fancy uniform."</p><p>Papa chuckled, his pale cheeks flushing a light pink as he switched off the television.</p><p>"Yeah, he might've mentioned that to me a couple of times," he said. He cleared his throat, reaching for the smaller of the two boutonnières sitting on the dresser. "Uncle Sam just brought these up a couple minutes ago. Aren't they nice?"</p><p>"Definitely," answered Peter, watching carefully as Papa pinned the pretty purple violet to his lapel. Dad and Papa had asked Grandma to be in charge of organising the flowers for the wedding, and Peter had to admit that she had done a wonderful job. The arrangements of violets, daisies, and lilies that flanked each row of the chairs set up outside by the lake were really pretty, as were the various bouquets that she'd had placed as centrepieces on the round tables set up near the buffet area.</p><p>"There," Papa said as he stepped back. He blinked, his blue eyes shiny as he placed his hands on Peter's shoulders. "You look so much like your dad, little guy. Almost too handsome for words."</p><p>"Thanks, Papa," Peter said, smiling softly. He had witnessed his dads being so lovey-dovey with each other so often during the last nine weeks that it was almost funny. They could barely pass each other in the house without stopping for a quick kiss—and sometimes even a not-so-quick one—and now that the television people had started to bring back shows and movies that used to be considered "inappropriate", the three of them would often pile onto the squashy couch in the living room and watch together in the evenings, with Dad sitting with his back to Papa's chest and Peter cuddled up next to Dad, Papa's hand resting on his shoulder.</p><p>Papa had even taught Peter how to pop popcorn on the stove and melt butter to sprinkle over the top, which Peter had decided was one of his new favourite foods pretty much right after his very first handful.</p><p>"Grandma had to help me with my tie," Peter added as he tugged on his silky-soft, royal purple tie, the very same tie that Dad was set to wear. His suit was the same as Dad's as well, a beautiful charcoal grey colour, and designed by the very same tailor who had created the Air Corps dress uniforms.</p><p>"And it looks like she did an excellent job of it," Papa said, brushing some non-existent lint from Peter's shoulders. "She taught me how to tie a tie right after I got fitted for my first Air Corps uniform."</p><p>Peter gave a nod. "Yeah, that's what she told me." He grinned, remembering how Grandma had told him that she'd had to stand on a chair in order to reach Papa's neck. "She also told me that she hadn't realised until then just how much the serum had made you grow until she had to stand on a chair in order to reach you."</p><p>"Ahh," Papa said with a short laugh. "Yeah, that was only a week or so after my procedure, so neither of us were quite used to it yet."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense." Papa had told Peter a bunch of stories about all the trouble he'd had adjusting to his new body, including one time when he’d misjudged a corner so badly while running that he’d ended up crashing right through the plate-glass window of a clothing store.</p><p>Not one of his finer moments, Papa had said, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. Thankfully all the cuts he'd received from the glass were healed up by the next day, but Peter knew it still wasn't something that Papa enjoyed thinking about.</p><p>It was one of the main reasons why Papa had been so insistent on working with Peter, so he didn't have to go through anything like that.</p><p>And it was working. Uncle Sam's broken seatbelts aside, so far all of Peter's mishaps had happened in the privacy of his own home, and not on a crowded street surrounded by people.</p><p>Once Papa's own boutonnière was in place, Peter's eyes swept across his fancy dress uniform, pausing on the shiny, brand-new medal that he'd received from Colonel Phillips for his pivotal role in Project Phoenix. The medal ceremony, during which Dad was also honoured with a medal and an official certificate of appreciation, had been televised world-wide, cementing Dad and Papa's growing celebrity even more. Peter's medal and certificate, presented to him in a private, no-reporters-allowed ceremony beforehand, were both framed and hanging up on the wall in Peter's bedroom.</p><p>"I still don't understand how you can wear these things all the time," he said as Papa tugged on the cuffs of his sleeves, eyeing his sleeve length with a critical eye. "It makes me feel like I'm not supposed to move."</p><p>Papa's eyes crinkled at the corners as he laughed. "Well, you do eventually get used to them. It also helps that most of the time I was wearing a flight suit, and not my full dress uniform."</p><p>"Eh, I guess that's true," said Peter. "I bet Dad likes you better in this uniform though. And it'd be kinda hard to say your vows with your helmet and mask on."</p><p>"Yeah, that's very true," Papa said, just before his expression turned serious.</p><p>"Papa? Something wrong?"</p><p>Papa shook his head, his throat bobbing as he attempted a smile. He reached for Peter's hands, clasping them in his own.</p><p>"No, little guy, there's nothing wrong," he murmured. "I'm just… I'm just so relieved that you're here. You and Tony, you've made me so happy, happier than I ever thought possible, and—" He broke off as his bright blue eyes filled with tears, leaning down to kiss Peter's forehead. "If your dad and I would've lost you, I'm not—I'm not sure what we would've done."</p><p>Guilt swept across Peter like a wave, and he bit down hard on his bottom lip as he focused on the shiny medal clipped to the lapel of Papa's uniform jacket. Papa and Dad had both said the same thing to him a bunch of times already, and while Peter could understand where they were coming from, he still stood by what he did. Papa had been literally only hours away from dying of either thirst or exposure, so if Peter hadn't managed to restore JARVIS when he did then there wouldn't have even been a wedding.</p><p>Besides. How was Peter supposed to have known that Grandpa had created more of his super-secret serum to fix him? Not even Dad or Papa had known about it.</p><p>"I know that already, Papa," Peter said evenly. "But it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? I'm here now."</p><p>Papa sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit. "Yes, you are. And I'm so, so grateful, Peter, because I love you. Both Dad and I love you so much. Our little family just wouldn't be complete without you."</p><p>"Uh huh," said Peter. "I love you too, Papa."</p><p>
  <em>What else am I supposed to say to that?</em>
</p><p>"Anyway," he said after a short pause, holding up his camera. "Is it okay if I take a couple pictures of you? Some before-the-wedding pictures?"</p><p>Papa's face flushed even pinker. "Of course, little guy," he said. "Where do you want me to stand?"</p><p>"Hmm…" Peter mumbled, tapping his chin as he glanced around the room. "How 'bout over by the window? I'd like it if you weren't looking at me, like I caught you contemplating or something."</p><p>"Spoken like a true artist," Papa said with a wink. Then he stepped over to the window, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed.</p><p>"Oh yeah, that's perfect," Peter said as he lined up his camera, taking several shots from a few different angles. So far he had found that he enjoyed photography almost as much as he did painting, and that was a heck of a lot. He and Papa had been spending so much time experimenting with their new paints that just about every single wall in their new home featured at least one of their creations, including a new rendition of Mrs Bird and her three chicks that hung on the wall in Peter's bedroom. They had also given a bunch of pictures to Uncle James and Auntie Carol, Grandma, and Uncle Sam and Uncle Bucky too.</p><p>Even Colonel Phillips had asked for a Peter Stark-Rogers original, which Peter had already sketched out and received approval from the colonel. An X-302 with its nose pointed up, overlaid with a phoenix.</p><p>"Okay, Papa, I think I've got it," Peter said once he was done. He smiled as he scrolled through the various photos on his camera screen, thinking they would work great in the photo book he was planning to put together after the wedding. "I'm gonna go get some pictures of Dad now, okay? That way you'll get to see what he looked like before the ceremony."</p><p>"That sounds great, little guy," said Papa. "I can't wait.</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said as he checked the wall clock. "It should hopefully be starting in about ten minutes or so."</p><p>Papa's face immediately drained of colour. "Oh, wow," he whispered, more to himself than to Peter. "Only ten more minutes till I'm married."</p><p>"I bet Dad's thinking the exact same thing right about now," Peter said softly. "But you don't have anything to worry about, if that's what you're thinking."</p><p>"Oh, no, little guy, that's not what I'm thinking at all," Papa assured him. He curled his arm around Peter's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm just… well… before I met you and your dad, I just never… I never allowed myself to even think about getting married or having a family because I didn't want to torture myself with thoughts of something that I'd never have. And now… in about ten minutes' time, I'll have everything that I ever wanted."</p><p>Peter wrapped his arms around Papa's waist, closing his eyes as he breathed in. Peter had adored hugs ever since he was old enough to know what they were, and one of the things that he'd hated the most about all the weeks he'd spent in the hospital was missing out on so many of Dad's—and later, Papa's—hugs.</p><p>"I always wished that Dad would find someone who loved him for him," Peter murmured into Papa's chest. "I knew it would be hard because he's a Stark and all of that nonsense, but I also knew that it would be even harder because of me. Most people don't want someone else's kid tagging along into a relationship, and especially a kid who was as busted up as I was."</p><p>"Hey now, little guy. That's no way to be talking," Papa said sternly, pressing a kiss to the top of Peter's head. "I really hope that you're exaggerating here."</p><p>"Well… no, I'm really not," said Peter. "Why do you think Dad never went out with anyone once I got sick? No one else wanted a defective kid."</p><p>"Peter—!"</p><p>"But it doesn't matter anymore," Peter cut in. "Now Dad's got you, and I get to have a papa."</p><p>"Yes, you do," said Papa. "And I hope you know that there's no way our family would be complete without you."</p><p>Peter sighed. <em>Here we go again.</em></p><p>"Yeah, I do."</p><p>
  <em>But I'm still not sorry for what I did.</em>
</p><p>"Good." He felt Papa kiss the top of his head again. "See you soon?"</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>Making his way back down the hall, Peter paused outside the door to the master bedroom. From what he could tell, Dad was <em>not </em>pacing back and forth, which probably meant that he wasn't ready yet.</p><p>"Yeah?" Dad said in response to Peter's knock. "Who is it?"</p><p>"It's just me, Dad. Can I come in?"</p><p>"Good grief, Pete, you know you don't have to ask."</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes as he opened the door. "Well, it's not like I'm not gonna ask," he said as he stepped inside, stopping short when he saw Dad sitting on the edge of the comfy armchair in the corner. He at least was wearing his dress shirt and pants, but his purple tie was loose around his neck and his suit jacket was still carefully laid out on the bed. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and rocking slightly back and forth.</p><p>He looked, in a word, terrified.</p><p>"Dad?" Peter asked. "Um… are you okay?"</p><p>"Huh?" Dad said, as if he'd just realised that Peter was there. "Oh, yeah, bud, I'm fine. Just… thinking."</p><p>"Okay, but… what about?" Peter asked with a frown. "'Cause it looks like you're about ready to pee your pants or something."</p><p>Dad shot Peter one of his goofy <em>really? </em>looks. "Spoken like a true adolescent boy," he said, his eyebrows all scrunched together. "No, buddy, I'm not afraid in the slightest."</p><p>"Yeah, right," Peter said warily. "Nice try, Dad, but you're not fooling me."</p><p>Dad rolled his eyes, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "All right, fine. I <em>am </em>afraid. But not about the wedding."</p><p>Peter breathed out a slight sigh of relief. "Well, that's good. Then… what? What're you so afraid of?"</p><p>It was several heartbeats before Dad could answer.</p><p>"I'm not afraid to have… all of this," he murmured. He looked over at the portrait of their family that hung on the wall over the bed, one that Papa had painted from a drawing that he'd given Dad right before the Phoenix mission. "I guess… I'm just afraid that now that I've got it… I'm just gonna end up fucking it all up again."</p><p>Peter swallowed a sigh. That was exactly what he'd been worrying about Dad worrying about.</p><p>"Dad, I really, <em>really </em>don't think you need to be worrying about anything like that," he said gently. "And you know it makes Papa sad to even hear you talk like that, so… why?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I know it does," Dad said with a sigh. "And I can't stand that sad face of his. Makes me wanna cry or something whenever I see it."</p><p>"Then… don't be thinking like you're thinking, and he'll have no reason to make it," said Peter. "Right?"</p><p>Dad lifted his head, attempting a smile. "Sure, bud. No problem."</p><p><em>Aaarrrggghhh, </em>Peter thought, biting back his frustrated groan. He and Dad had just had an entire conversation about this very thing the night before, when Dad was tucking Peter into bed. Papa had asked him to sleep apart since it was the night before their wedding, apparently because it was some old tradition or something that Grandma had mentioned. And while Dad had agreed to it, Peter knew it had thrown him a bit more than he'd wanted to let on.</p><p>Unlike Papa, Dad was pretty good at hiding his emotions. But even with his mask firmly in place, Peter could still see right through him.</p><p>"You're not Grandpa, Dad," Peter said gently. "And you're not gonna fuck anything up, so—"</p><p>"Whoa there, child!" Dad exclaimed with wide eyes. "That's a pretty grown up word coming out of such a young mouth!"</p><p>"Mmm," grumbled Peter. "Yeah, okay, but you get what I mean, right? Papa asked you to marry him because he loves you and he wants to be your husband. It's really not anymore complicated than that."</p><p>Dad sniffed, swiping at his eyes as he chuckled. "Yeah, bud, you're right. I'm just being stupid."</p><p>"No, you're not being stupid, you're just… afraid. And it's okay to be afraid as long as you don't let it control you. Isn't that what you and Papa tell me every night?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, something like that." Dad pushed himself up to his feet, clearing his throat as he looked at Peter. "How in the hell did you get to be so handsome, hmm? Weren't you only about yay big about a month or so ago?"</p><p>"Not quite," Peter said with a smile. "It was more like nine weeks ago."</p><p>That finally got Dad to smile. "Oh, yeah. That makes more sense." He stepped back, checking Peter over from head to toe, giving him a playful bop on the nose. "You sure clean up pretty good though, bud."</p><p>"Yeah, must be a Stark thing," Peter said, holding up his camera. "You mind if I get a few pictures? I already took some of Papa."</p><p>"You did?" Dad asked eagerly. "How's he look?"</p><p>"Amazing," Peter said with wide eyes. "Like, you're probably gonna stop short when you see him. Make that silly ga-ga face of yours and everything."</p><p>"Well, that sure won't be anything new," answered Dad. "The man is about as perfect as they come."</p><p>"Yeah, and he thinks the exact same thing about you," Peter said firmly. "He's even told me so. You really have nothing to worry about, Dad. I <em>promise.</em>"</p><p>Dad's lower lip started to tremble, and he caught it between his teeth. "Well, if you're saying it, then it must be true." Then he brushed the hair from Peter's forehead, pressing a kiss there. "I s'pose it's time to head downstairs now?"</p><p>"Yeah, just about," answered Peter. "Can I get some pictures first, though?"</p><p>"Sure, bud. Where do you want me?"</p><p>"Well… how 'bout how you were sitting when I first got in here? he said. "When you were being all contemplate-y and stuff? That's how I got Papa too."</p><p>"Contemplate-y?" Dad said, smirking as he sat back down, assuming his elbows-on-knees position. "Is that even a word?"</p><p>Peter laughed, raising his camera. "Eh, I guess it is now."</p><p>"Well, I'm sure it won't be the last word you make up in your lifetime," said Dad. "I'm pretty sure that the boy who saved the entire planet is allowed to make up as many words as he wants."</p><p>"Yeah, okay, Dad," Peter muttered. This day wasn't supposed to be about him. "Stay just like that, all right?"</p><p>He had taken around five or six pictures when Uncle James suddenly appeared at the slightly opened door.</p><p>"Hey, you two," he said, rolling his eyes when he saw that Dad wasn't quite ready yet. "You are still thinking about getting married this afternoon, aren't ya, Tones? Does that still fit into your schedule?"</p><p>"Ha, ha, ha," said Dad. "Have you always been this funny, or is that just for today?" He shot Peter a wink as he tightened his tie, grinning when Uncle James retrieved his suit jacket from the bed for him to put on.</p><p>"Oh c'mon, Tones, you know I only bring out my humour on special occasions," said Uncle James, who was wearing his fancy dress uniform too. "There's no humour allowed in the Air Corps."</p><p>"Yeah, 'cept the funniest thing about that is that it was actually true," Peter said. He suppressed a shudder, thinking about how different everything was now only nine weeks out from Project Phoenix. Not only had both Langara and Meridia recently held free elections for the first time in thirty years, but the entire overall mission of the Air Corps had been changed to reflect their new world. Instead of roughly ninety-eight percent of the focus being on military hardware, Colonel Phillips had presented Dad and Papa with the task of developing a commercial airline system, complete with airports placed at strategic areas around the planet, new passenger airliners designed to ferry people to the different areas, many of which had already begun to build various attractions and temporary housing units, and even some smaller aircraft to provide interested citizens the chance to learn how to fly without being required to join the Air Corps.</p><p>All of which would create literally thousands of jobs, covering most of the planet. And, thanks to Colonel Phillips, who at the request of the new Langaran president had agreed to stay on as Commander of the Air Corps, Dad was now in charge of overseeing the design and manufacture of both the new commercial airliners and the airports themselves, while Papa had already been tasked with overseeing the training of the hundreds of new potential pilots in both classroom instruction and practical flying experience.</p><p>And the very first person Papa had asked to add on as an additional flight instructor was Uncle James, the man who had saved his life during the Phoenix mission dogfight.</p><p>And, because that apparently wasn't enough, both Dad and Papa had also been directly involved with the collection of evidence in preparation for Hank Pym's trial, as well as giving key personal testimony during the court-martial of General O'Brien and his lackeys.</p><p>"Yeah, but we don't need to be bringing that up now, do we, kiddo?" Uncle James said. He brushed his palms across Dad's shoulders, giving him an approving look. "You're looking pretty good here, Tony. I hate to say it, but I think you'll do."</p><p>"Well, at least there's that," said Dad. He huffed out a sharp breath as he checked his reflection, turning to allow Uncle James to pin on his boutonnière. "Are ya ready, Pete?"</p><p>"Yep," Peter said. "I'm ready."</p><p>Dad smiled as he reached for Peter's hand, giving it a light squeeze.</p><p>"Alrighty, then. Let's do this."</p>
<hr/><p>"You keep that bouncing up and you're gonna end up drilling yourself right through the ground," Bucky said. He clamped a hand on Steve's shoulder, putting a halt to his nervous fidgeting. "What the hell, Stevie? You went to space twice and you weren't this jittery."</p><p>"This is a bigger deal to me than going to space," Steve said, tossing a scowl in Bucky's direction. "And shouldn't you be taking notes or something?"</p><p>Bucky grinned, his eyes flicking over to Sam, who was sitting with several of their teammates. "Nah. Pretty sure Sam is though."</p><p>"Yeah, that makes sense." During his ten years of flying, Steve had come to realise that there were two distinct types of fighter pilots: the ones who flew mainly on instinct, and the ones who were constantly thinking a thousand steps ahead. Bucky fell into the former category, with his instinctive flying style evident even in the way that he played chess, while Sam was definitely the latter, often spending hours studying aerial footage of old dogfights while he was auditioning for the test-pilot program.</p><p>"I did already ask your ma if she wouldn't mind doing our flowers," added Bucky. "'Cause she sure did a hell of a job with yours."</p><p>"Yeah, she did," agreed Steve, nodding as Cam Mitchell took his seat next to Major Lorne, who had arrived with Sharon Carter on his arm. All of Steve's teammates were now there, just like they had been for Peter's serum procedure.</p><p>They had all stood by Steve and Tony during some of their darkest hours, and now they were all there to celebrate with them on one of the best days of their lives.</p><p><em>That </em>was the kind of camaraderie they had all managed to forge, despite the Air Corps doing everything it possibly could to keep those types of bonds from forming.</p><p>And that was the reason why they had won.</p><p>"Hey, Stevie. Look," Bucky said, nudging Steve with his elbow. "Peter's coming out."</p><p>"Oohh," Steve breathed, a huge smile spreading across his lips as Peter stepped out onto the back deck of the house and held out his arm for Ma, just like the little gentleman that he was.</p><p>"He's gonna be a charmer, Stevie," said Bucky. "You and Tony better watch it."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Steve whispered. His heart leapt into his throat as the processional music began, with all of the seated guests turning to watch as Peter led Ma up the centre aisle to her seat on Steve's side. Howard was already in his seat on Tony's side, along with his date for the wedding, the woman Steve had hired to clean out his house.</p><p>Apparently, she and Howard had struck up a friendship of sorts, something that Tony had found rather… interesting.</p><p>"He looks so much like Tony," Steve added.</p><p>"Oh yeah, he definitely looks like a Stark," Bucky replied. "Sure acts a lot like you, though."</p><p>"And Tony," said Steve. "You should watch the two of them sometime when they're working together. It's like they're speaking a whole different language."</p><p>Bucky's eyes went wide. "Actually, I have, when I got fitted for this," he said, indicating his brand-new prosthetic arm. Tony had constructed it using Peter's design, building it from the very same metal that he used to build the container for the tesseract. "They were talking so fast that I could barely understand every third word they were saying!"</p><p>"Well, they're only the two smartest people on the entire planet," Steve said, with whatever he'd been planning to say next dying on his lips as Tony suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the aisle, standing next to James.</p><p>And he looked positively <em>breathtaking.</em></p><p>He was impeccably dressed, with his hair perfectly in place. He had even forgone his usual glasses for some brand-new contact lenses, a luxury he'd never before been able to afford.</p><p>But even better than that was the expression on his radiant face, one that caused tears to prick Steve's eyes.</p><p>Tony didn't just look happy, he looked <em>peaceful.</em></p><p>After enduring so many years of unrelenting war, both throughout his country and inside his own home, Tony Stark was finally at peace.</p><p>Steve was so completely awestruck by his beloved that he barely noticed when Colonel Phillips appeared at the front, shooting Peter an affectionate wink. Not even three seconds later Bucky stepped forward, taking his place off of Peter's left-hand side as James stepped up next to Peter's right.</p><p>And then, it was Steve's turn.</p><p>As if he were on automatic pilot Steve took one step, then another, emboldened by the look in Tony's eyes as they locked with his own, followed directly by the biggest smile Steve had ever seen lighting up his beautiful face. As soon as he was within reach, Steve reached for Tony's hands, clasping them as tightly as he dared as Tony shot him a wink.</p><p>"Tony," Steve whispered, barely even able to speak. "You—you're just so—<em>gods,</em> you just look incredible!"</p><p>"Well, I might've been inspired to try and look my best on this fine autumn afternoon," Tony whispered back. "You know, something 'bout a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion, or so I heard."</p><p>"All right, all right, there'll be enough time for all of the sweet-talking later," Colonel Phillips cut in, clearing his throat. "Let's get this moving, yeah? I'm hungry."</p><p>A chorus of chuckles erupted from the guests, after which Colonel Phillips proceeded to give the kindest, most emotionally evocative speech that Steve had ever heard him give. For several minutes he spoke about Tony's incredible steadfastness in the face of almost insurmountable odds, and how his brilliant and innovative mind helped lead their entire world to where it was today. For Steve, he spoke about his unending drive and determination, at first simply to survive, and then to become the very best fighter pilot that the Air Corps had ever seen. A drive that led to him becoming the first Langaran to ever fly in space, and that also helped to keep him alive when the enemy threatened to strand him there.</p><p>Finally, it was time for the vows, with Steve clearing his throat as he looked deep into Tony's eyes. Through his peripheral vision he could see Peter, his smile so wide that it threatened to split his sweet face.</p><p>"Tony," he began, tightening his grip on Tony's hands. "There's no way I could ever convey how much you mean to me in just a few short sentences, so let me simply say this. When I met you, I was a bitter, broken, shell of a man hiding behind a rank and a fancy flight helmet. I had believed for so long that if I could just achieve the next goal, and then the next one, and then the next one, that somehow I would just magically become happy."</p><p>Steve paused to regain his bearings, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat the size of a marble.</p><p>"But I didn't," he continued. "As much as I hated to admit it, my shell was already starting to crack. Because I wasn't really living, Tony. I was simply just trying to survive.</p><p>"But then, I met Peter, and then I met you, and together the two of you took the broken shell of a man that I was and managed to piece me back together with such unconditional love and devotion that I'll never be able to—" He broke off, unable to continue as a single tear tracked down Tony's cheek. "I love you, Anthony Edward Stark, and in front of all of these witnesses, I promise to love you and only you, for the rest of my life."</p><p>Since Tony was already wearing his ring, Steve lifted his left hand to his lips, kissing the ring over its three embedded stones. Tony's lower lip was trembling as Steve lowered his hand, sucking in a deep breath.</p><p>"Well, Steve, I'm not quite sure how I'll be able to match up to that, but I guess I'll give it a try anyway," he began, his melodic voice sending shivers down Steve's spine. "I know I've told you this before, but since we've got all these people gathered together here at our new home, I'm thinking that it bears repeating. All my life, people have known my name, but that was pretty much it. That was it, because I was too afraid to let anyone get any closer. I was too afraid that if anyone got close enough to actually <em>see</em> me, they would immediately run for the mountains and never look back. And I liked to use the excuse that I did it to protect my son, but what I was really doing was just reinforcing the walls that I'd so masterfully built around my heart. Walls that you then managed to completely tear down with just a few kind words and a couple flashes of that sexy-as-hell dimple."</p><p>Tony paused to take a breath, his beautiful brown eyes glassy as he held out his hand towards Peter, who carefully dropped Steve's ring into his palm.</p><p>"Steven Grant Rogers, I love you," he said as he slid the ring onto Steve's finger. "I love you because you not only did you take the time to get to know the real me, but that once you did, you still chose to love me anyway. And with this ring, and in front of these witnesses, I promise to love you and only you, for the rest of my life."</p><p>As soon as the ring was in place, Steve curled his fingers into his palm. The shiny, silver-coloured metal with a star and stripes design felt a bit foreign against his skin, but Steve knew it wouldn't be long before he was used to it.</p><p>And then, as if on cue, they both turned to Colonel Phillips.</p><p>"Oh, just go ahead and kiss already, will ya?" said the colonel. "'Cause I'm sure as hell not gonna kiss you."</p><p>Steve was reaching for Tony's face before Colonel Phillips had even finished speaking. They were both almost smiling too hard to even kiss, but they still managed to get in a couple of lingering pecks, finally separating when Cam Mitchell let out an ear-splitting wolf whistle and the entire crowd began to applaud.</p><p>"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Cam called out as Steve pulled Peter into a huge, family hug.</p><p>"Damn right," added John. "Time for the party!"</p><p>"I'm pretty hungry too, actually," Peter said, muffled against Tony's shoulder. "Can we start eating now?"</p><p>"By all means, bud," answered Tony. "Just as long as you save some for Papa." Then he took Steve's face in his hands and tugged him down for another kiss, the tip of his tongue teasing along Steve's bottom lip for just a second before he pulled away.</p><p>"Just a taste of things to come, honey," he whispered, sending a burst of heat across Steve's chest, and forcing him to have to turn around and discreetly adjust himself.</p><p>"Oh, Steven," Ma said as she rushed forward, enveloping him into a hug. "Son, I am so happy for you!"</p><p>"I am too, Ma," Steve said, his voice a bit on the raspy side. "I am too."</p><p>"And I know Joseph would've been too," she added as she pulled Tony into a hug, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Oh, how I wish he could've seen this!"</p><p>"Me too, Ma," Steve whispered, fighting back tears as he watched Howard step forward and offer Tony a congratulatory handshake. It was a bit stiff, and more than a bit tentative on both of their parts, but it was still more affection than they had shown each other in a long, long time.</p><p><em>Maybe there really is no such thing as an unfixable problem, </em>Steve thought as he held out his arm for Tony—his <em>husband</em>—to take.</p><p>"Shall we?" he asked.</p><p>To which Tony responded, "We shall."</p>
<hr/><p>The party, as it turned out, was quite honestly the best party that Steve had ever attended. The food, catered by Tony's very favourite restaurant, the place where Mr Jarvis would often take him, was absolutely impeccable, and the company even more so. As the food and beverages flowed freely and everyone in attendance came to offer Steve and Tony their personal congratulations, Steve felt certain that his face was in danger of becoming permanently locked in the wide smile he'd worn ever since he'd first set eyes on Tony from across the aisle.</p><p>"Hey, hon. Take a look at that," Tony whispered as he jerked his head towards Peter, who was sitting in the centre of a gaggle of Air Corps pilots and telling them an absolutely captivating story, if the identical looks of awe on each of their faces were any indication. "Seems like Pete's got himself a fan club."</p><p>"As he should," answered Steve. "I know he managed to get me completely hooked after only a single conversation."</p><p>"Oh, yeah," Tony said, the sultry look in his eyes and the sexy timbre of his voice almost too much for Steve to handle. "That's the infamous Stark charm, you know."</p><p>"And I am definitely hooked on the Stark charm," Steve murmured. He cupped Tony's cheek in his hand, pressing a light kiss to his lips even as his entire body was begging for more. As the afternoon had stretched into evening, Steve had found it more and more difficult to keep his hands to himself, and he was to the point now of trying to come up with a polite yet firm way to suggest to their guests that they should all start taking their leave. He needed to get his husband up to bed.</p><p>It wasn't helping that Tony had become aware of Steve's rather obvious distress almost immediately, and had since done his absolute best to tease him about it.</p><p>"In fact, I'm getting pretty antsy to experience some more of your Stark charm," he whispered in Tony's ear, earning a soft moan that went straight to his crotch. "How much longer are we supposed to stay out here?"</p><p>Tony laughed, his mischievous brown eyes sparkling in the late autumn sunlight reflecting off the lake. "Why, <em>Captain,</em>" he purred, sliding his palm rather provocatively up Steve's thigh. "Are you trying to proposition me?"</p><p>"<em>Tony,"</em> Steve gasped, his face flushing hot. "Sweetheart, I'm already having enough trouble controlling myself here. I don't need you making things worse!"</p><p>"Worse? Oh, but isn't that one of the reasons why you love me so much?" Tony said with a wink. "You know I love to make things difficult."</p><p>"One of the reasons," answered Steve. He kissed his way over to Tony's temple, breathing in his incredible scent. "Just one of the millions, <em>mo stor</em>."</p><p>"Well, if it's any consolation, I'd be completely on board with making an exit soon," Tony said, letting out another soft moan as Steve kissed down to the soft skin behind his ear. "Or even sooner. 'Cause I'm thinking that it's about damn time for me to remove that impossibly hot uniform from your impossibly hot body and have my way with you."</p><p>Steve groaned, biting down hard on his bottom lip. "Oh <em>gods, </em>Tony, I swear if we don't get into our bedroom soon, I'm gonna—"</p><p>"Hey, guys," Peter said, startling Steve so badly that he actually squeaked. Tony, of course, just took it in stride.</p><p>"Hey, bud," said Tony, his expression revealing absolutely no hint of the fact that he was trailing his fingertips along Steve's inner thigh under the table. "What's up?"</p><p>Peter raised an eyebrow, eyeing Steve warily. "Uhh, I just wanted to let you guys know that we're gonna be leaving soon. Auntie Carol said it was way past the time for Uncle James to get off his feet."</p><p>"Oh, yeah, bud, that makes sense," said Tony. "And you're already packed, right?"</p><p>"Uh huh," Peter said with a rather enthusiastic nod. "Uncle James said we could watch a couple movies before bed, and Papa, Auntie Carol even told me that she's gonna try using your recipe for hot chocolate tonight."</p><p>"As long as you're able to get some good sleep, okay, little guy?" Steve said. "This has been a pretty busy day."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," answered Peter. "And I will."</p><p>"Good. And don't forget to give us a hug before you go."</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes. "Like either if you would let me leave without one."</p><p>"You've got that right, Pete," Tony said firmly. "Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?"</p><p>"Uhh…" Peter stammered, wincing. "Hold that thought."</p><p>Steve chuckled as he watched Peter scramble towards the house, no doubt to retrieve the forgotten toothbrush. As soon as the door closed behind him, Steve took Tony's hand, tugging him up to his feet. Peter's sudden appearance had managed to quell Steve's raging desire just enough for him to be able to stand without embarrassment, so he figured he may as well try and take advantage of it.</p><p>"C'mon, sweetheart," he said, offering Tony his arm. "Let's make our final rounds, shall we?"</p><p>Tony laughed as he took Steve's arm, one of those delightful laughs that never failed to make Steve smile. "We definitely shall, honey. And I love the way you think."</p><p>It took nearly an hour for them to mingle with the various groups assembled across their deck and back lawn, absorbing all of the hugs and well-wishes that they possibly could. Peter was so exhausted by the time he kissed Steve and Tony goodbye and left with James and Carol that Steve highly doubted he would even make it through one movie, much less two. But he supposed that was a good thing. Peter's sleep, which according to Tony had never been particularly good, had grown even worse during his prolonged hospital stay, and despite him now being healed it still wasn't the best. Frequent bad dreams, an irrational fear of the dark that reminded Steve a lot of Tony, and such an overwhelming aversion to silence that it had forced Steve to try and hunt down some kind of noise machine after only their second night in the new house. Unable to find such a device, Steve had actually ended up borrowing a spare heart monitor from the hospital to tuck into the corner of Peter's room until Tony was able to build him an actual noise machine.</p><p>And while the new device had helped some, as had Steve and Tony trying to keep him so busy that he'd have no choice but to sleep, Steve was still rather concerned about how well he was going to do with being away from home for two whole nights.</p><p>Even so, Steve was still glad they had made that arrangement, as he and Tony desperately needed some time for themselves. Ever since he had returned home from space to discover that Peter was near death, he and Tony had barely had three seconds to catch their breaths. Getting Peter through his serum procedure and helping him adjust to his new enhancements, all while helping to rebuild two war-torn countries was more work than Steve had ever imagined it would be, and while he was very proud of what they had already accomplished and what they were continuing to accomplish, he was ready to push all of that out of his mind for the next forty-eight hours and focus all of his attention onto his husband.</p><p>His <em>husband.</em></p><p>Captain Steven Grant Rogers, ace test pilot for the Langaran Air Corps, was now a married man.</p><p>Finally, after Tony dropped all sense of propriety and flat-out informed Cam and John that it was time for them to leave, Steve made sure all of the doors to the house were locked and grabbed Tony's hand, practically dragging him up the stairs and into their bedroom, barely getting the door closed behind them before claiming Tony's mouth.</p><p>"Tony," Steve breathed against Tony's lips as he kicked off his shoes, guiding them towards the centre of the spacious room. Aside from the still-setting sun sending soft beams of warmth through the windows, the room was lit only by the pillar candles that Steve had strategically placed after Peter had taken his picture earlier that afternoon. Bucky had informed him right before he and Sam had left that he’d successfully lit all of the candles, warning Steve to make sure that he and Tony made it upstairs before they all burned down.</p><p>Of course, Steve had assured him that that wouldn't be a problem.</p><p>"I need you, sweetheart," he whispered, desperate and needy as his shaking hands slid Tony's suit jacket from his shoulders, tossing it towards the chair in the corner. "Need you so badly."</p><p>"You've got me, honey," Tony murmured. He quickly kicked off his own shoes before fumbling with the buttons on Steve's uniform jacket, launching somewhere in the general direction of the chair. "Want you naked, babe. Like right the hell <em>now</em>."</p><p>"Yes," Steve moaned, tipping his head back as Tony’s lips trailed down his jaw to his neck. His eyes fluttered closed, the sensation like little spikes of electricity as Tony found that sweet spot that made Steve's knees buckle. Tony smirked against Steve's skin as he untied his tie and untucked his shirt from his waistband, both of them going to work on the buttons until he was able to shrug it off. As soon as it hit the floor Tony's hands slid underneath his tight undershirt, his blunt fingernails scraping gently up Steve's bare back as he drew the shirt up Steve's chest.</p><p>"This needs to come off, honey," Tony ordered, leaving no room for argument. Steve immediately obeyed, tugging the shirt over his head and tossing it onto the floor, a loud moan escaping his throat when Tony glided his palms up his abdomen to his pecs, brushing his thumbs across his nipples.</p><p>"Oh gods, Tony," Steve said on a gasp as Tony did it again, a rather self-satisfied smile on his kiss-swollen lips. "I can't—I can't… feels too good…"</p><p>"Aways so sensitive," Tony murmured. His lips continued down the column of Steve's throat as Steve fumbled with Tony's shirt, then his undershirt, finally dropping them both onto the growing pile of clothing. Then he slid his hands under Tony's gloriously round ass, hauling him up and carrying him over to the bed, laying him down onto the freshly washed sheets. He crawled up over him, looking into his husband's—his <em>husband's!</em>—gorgeous brown eyes that were radiating such pure love and desire that Steve's heart nearly burst.</p><p>"I love you," he whispered, tracing his fingertip down the scar marking the centre of Tony's chest, the scar he'd always associated with Tony's never-ending strength and determination. "<em>Mo stor, </em>I love you so much."</p><p>Tony shuddered, his beautiful lips curling into that soft smile that he reserved only for Steve.</p><p>"I love you too, babe," he whispered. He slowly trailed his fingers in feather-light strokes up Steve's arms, then down his chest to his waistband, tugging impatiently. "And we're both still wearing way too many clothes."</p><p>Steve grinned as he reached for Tony's belt buckle, working it loose so he could slide Tony's pants and underwear down his legs. Like Steve, he was already rock-hard, his erection resting flush against his abdomen, and Steve eagerly licked his lips as he reached for it only to have his hand knocked away.</p><p>"Nuh uh, sexy man. I get to go first tonight," Tony said. He tapped Steve on the shoulder. "On your back for me, okay? I've been wanting to get my mouth on you all damn day, so you're just gonna have to let me."</p><p>"No way I can say no to that," Steve wheezed, practically growling as Tony undid his belt and pants button, working his hand inside Steve's underwear before he'd even pulled them off.</p><p>"Ohh, but you are ready for me, aren't you?" Tony whispered, pulling another guttural grown from Steve's throat as his long fingers finally curled around his aching cock. He slowly stroked him as his free hand glided across his collarbones and down his pecs to his abdomen, contracting with every single touch. "Fuck, Steve, you're just too goddamn pretty!"</p><p>"<em>Tony!"</em> Steve managed, his brain practically short-circuiting as Tony's mouth met his. Tony’s tongue swept past Steve’s lips just for a moment or two before he began trailing open-mouthed kisses down his chest, pausing to give attention to both of his nipples before continuing further down. Steve's hands fisted into the sheets, his entire body writhing in anticipation.</p><p>"Tony, <em>please!"</em></p><p>"There's the magic word, honey," Tony murmured, now planting kisses all along the length of Steve's cock. And then, <em>finally,</em> Tony’s beautiful mouth closed around him, and Steve's entire body ignited.</p><p>Gibberish spilled from Steve's lips as he wove his fingers through Tony's silky hair, his fingertips gently pressing on Tony's scalp as Tony practically swallowed him down. Tony had told Steve not too long after their first time that he loved giving Steve blowjobs, loved to watch Steve's face as he surrendered to the pleasure that he gave him, knowing he was the only person to ever see him that way.</p><p>The only person who ever would see Steve that way.</p><p>
  <em>Till death do us part.</em>
</p><p>"Tony, I'm gonna—I'm gonna—" Steve choked out, his breath hitching as Tony slid his hand underneath Steve's ass, squeezing it before trailing his fingertips along his crack. "Tony, I'm gonna come!"</p><p>"Mmmhmm," Tony hummed around him, and that was all it took to yank Steve over the edge. He cried out as he came, his shouts of pleasure echoing off the candlelit walls of their bedroom as he practically melted into the mattress, his entire body tingling with residual current.</p><p>It felt like at least an hour had passed by the time Steve regained some semblance of feeling in his limbs, finally peeling his eyes open to find his husband's lust-blown brown eyes watching him, his chin resting comfortably in the curve of Steve's pelvis.</p><p>"So. It seems to me that you might've enjoyed that," Tony said, batting his beautiful thick eyelashes.</p><p>"Just a bit," Steve said with a laugh, tugging gently on Tony's shoulders. "C'mere. I wanna kiss you."</p><p>With a final kiss to Steve's hipbone, Tony crawled back up his body, blanketing him with his own as he met Steve's eager mouth. Steve's arms curled around him as their kiss deepened, flipping them so he was on top, his knees bracketing Tony's hips. He was already hard again, the pleasure shooting down his back like a missile as Tony's legs hooked around his waist, his heels pressing against the backs of Steve's thighs as their cocks rubbed together.</p><p>"Want you to fuck me, baby," Tony whispered as Steve kissed down Tony's jaw to his neck, sucking a mark into his pulse point. "Want you so bad. It's been way too long."</p><p>"Are you sure?" Steve asked, kissing across Tony's throat. "It has been awhile."</p><p>"I'm sure," rasped Tony. His hands slid down Steve's back to his ass, squeezing each cheek as he rolled his hips up against Steve's. "Please, baby. Need you inside me."</p><p>"If you're sure," Steve said, his lips barely brushing the shell of Tony's ear. He slid his hand under Tony's ass, pressing him up against him and moaning at Tony's answering groan. "But I'm gonna take my time with you. Give you a bit of your own medicine, hmm?"</p><p>"Okay, but I'm pretty sure that's against Air Corps regulations," Tony said, gasping as Steve's fingers trailed down his stomach to curl around his leaking cock. "I might even have to lodge a complaint with your superior officer."</p><p>Steve grinned against Tony's shoulder. "You go right ahead and try, <em>mo stor.</em>"</p><p>While they had not been celibate in the nine weeks since the sucess of Project Phoenix, their busy schedules combined with helping Peter adjust to everything had often left them too exhausted to do much more than collapse into each other's arms at the end of the day, hoping that Peter would be able to sleep through the night.</p><p>And even though Steve had been the one to ask Tony to sleep apart the previous night out of tradition, he had ended up sleeping so poorly without Tony in the bed next to him that he'd already decided he would never, ever do that again.</p><p>"Do you remember what I told you the night before the Phoenix mission?" Steve asked, his lips following the path of Tony's scar. Despite all of Steve's protests to the contrary, he knew that Tony still found his scar ugly, so he always tried to lavish as much attention to it as possible when they were intimate.</p><p>"Um… well… let me see," Tony said, his breath hitching on every word. "I think I remember you mentioning something about using your tongue the next time that we did this."</p><p>"Mmm, that's right," Steve murmured. He paused his ministrations, locking eyes with his husband—his <em>husband!</em> "And does that sound like something you'd like?"</p><p>Tony shot him one of Peter's <em>duh</em> looks. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked. "Holy shit, Steve, I've been thinking about it pretty much the whole damn day!"</p><p>Steve gave a shudder, his mouth already watering. "Well, all right then. But just remember, I'm gonna take my time."</p><p>Tony nodded, his plush bottom lip caught between his teeth as he tugged Steve's head back down for a fierce, hard kiss.</p><p>"I know it, baby," he whispered against Steve's lips. "No one's ever been as good to me as you. No one."</p><p>Steve nodded, brushing his thumb across Tony's cheekbones. Tony had said things like that to Steve many times over the course of their relationship, and Steve was always a bit unsure on how to respond. While it angered him that Tony had been treated so poorly in the past, the selfish part of him enjoyed the fact that he now got to demonstrate to Tony just how loved he was.</p><p>"I'm gonna spend the rest of my life being good to you, sweetheart," Steve said. "And that's a promise."</p><p>"I know it," Tony whispered, wiggling his hips. "And you can start by opening me up now."</p><p>"So antsy," Steve said, just before capturing Tony's mouth again. Steve loved kissing Tony, loved the feel of their lips and tongues sliding against each other's and the little whimpers that Tony made whenever Steve cupped his cheeks with his hands. They kissed until they were both out of breath, panting as Steve broke away to kiss and nibble his way across his husband's—his <em>husband's!</em>—beautiful upper body. He spent some more time lavishing attention to Tony's scar before moving down his sternum to his abdomen, dipping his tongue teasingly into his navel as Tony's fingers wove into his hair.</p><p>"Steve—baby—you're taking too damn long!" Tony grunted, each of his gasps and moans only adding to the pleasure pooling in Steve's gut. "Please… honey… I'm begging you!"</p><p>"All right, <em>mo stor,</em>" Steve said as he patted Tony's side. "Roll over for me, okay?"</p><p>It was almost funny how quickly Tony scrambled to roll onto his stomach, displaying his perfect, round ass right where Steve wanted it. He quickly slid a pillow under Tony's hips before reaching for the bottle of lube he'd stashed in his bedside table, generously slicking up two of his fingers.</p><p>"Are you ready, sweetheart?" he murmured as he began kissing across the small of Tony's back, his fingers dipping teasingly into his crack.</p><p>"Do you even have to ask me that?" came Tony's stuttered response, muffled in the pillows. Steve smiled, kissing his way closer and closer to where his fingers were waiting for Tony to give him the go-ahead.</p><p>"I just like hearing you say it," Steve whispered. Then he carefully palmed Tony's ass cheeks and dipped his tongue inside.</p><p>"Oh, <em>shiiittt!"</em> Tony moaned, his entire body going rigid as Steve carefully worked him open with his tongue and fingers, all the while caressing every single part of Tony's body that he could reach. "Holy shit, Steve, I think I'm gonna explode that feels so incredible!"</p><p>"Please don't," Steve murmured against Tony's skin as he added some more lube, reveling in the way Tony was writhing beneath him, chanting his name. "Then we'll never get to the best part."</p><p>"Not sure I can take the best part," Tony muttered, his fingers curling into the sheets as Steve licked him again. "<em>Fuucckk</em>, Steve, Steve, <em>Steve!</em> Goddamnit, honey, I promise I'm ready!"</p><p>"All right, sweetheart," Steve said. Slowly, he withdrew his fingers, slicking up his cock before settling onto his side and rolling Tony towards him.</p><p>"I love you, Tony," he whispered, leaning over to capture Tony's lips in a hard kiss. Then he lined himself up and began pushing inside him, careful to take it slow despite Tony trying to hurry him. Once he was fully sheathed he paused for a moment, his eyes squeezing closed as he sucked in a few deep breaths, taking in the incredible sight, smell and feel of his husband's—his <em>husband's!</em>—body.</p><p>"Steve… honey… <em>please!"</em> Tony whimpered a few seconds later, rolling his hips against Steve's and pulling a choked gasp from his throat. Steve nodded against Tony's neck, curling his arm around his waist and rolling them so he was almost on his back, with Tony half on top of him. Tony had told him months ago that this was his favourite position for making love, his back against Steve's chest with Steve beneath him, and while it was a bit harder for Steve to see Tony's face this way, he loved that it allowed his hands to roam freely across Tony's incredible body.</p><p>"You feel so incredible," he rasped in Tony's ear as he began to move, his thrusts shallow and easy. "You're all around me, <em>mo stor.</em> I can feel you everywhere, in every part of me."</p><p>"Yes, baby, I can feel you," Tony whispered. His smooth skin glistened in the candlelight, and Steve was certain that he had never been more beautiful. "It's like you're inside my very being."</p><p>"That's what I want," murmured Steve. "For the rest of our lives, I want this." He brushed his lips across Tony's neck and shoulder, skimming his hand down Tony's arm to intertwine their fingers before curling both their arms around Tony's front.</p><p>"So good, baby, you're so good," Tony moaned, hoarse and raw as Steve's thrusts increased in speed, each word accented by a quick pant of breath. "'M getting close!"</p><p>"Me too," Steve grunted. He cupped Tony's cheek in his free hand, turning his head to find his lips as the pleasure swirling inside his body suddenly spiked. "Touch yourself, sweetheart. I want you to come with me."</p><p>"Oh, <em>shit,"</em> Tony said on a groan as he curled his fingers around his cock, stroking himself in time with Steve's thrusts. "I can't—Steve, I'm gonna—<em>fuck!"</em></p><p>And then Tony's back arched up, his entire body shuddering as he came, spilling onto his fingers as Steve came only seconds later, their combined cries of pleasure intertwining just as tightly as their bodies.</p><p>"Steve," Tony whispered as his entire body went lax against Steve's. He slowly turned his head, curling his arm around Steve's neck so they could press their lips together. "You're so good, honey. I love you."</p><p>Steve smiled, too sated and content to even attempt to move at the moment. There would be time enough for that later.</p><p>They had all night, after all.</p><p>"I love you, too," he whispered back, first kissing Tony's forehead, then his nose, and finally his mouth. "Husband."</p><p>Tony let out a soft chuckle, his beautiful brown eyes crinkling as he grinned. "Damn right, baby. I am your husband." He closed his eyes, burrowing further into Steve's embrace.</p><p>"And you're mine."</p>
<hr/><p>"Okay, so that's probably good enough for the smaller airliner," Tony said as he carefully rolled up the completed set of blueprints. He was scheduled to go over them with Colonel Phillips in the morning after he dropped Peter off at school. "Now, for the bigger one, I was thinking that we could—"</p><p>"I've already sketched out our ideas for the biggest airliner, Dad," Peter cut in. "Wanna see it?"</p><p>Tony's eyebrows knitted together, shooting Peter one of his <em>duh</em> looks.</p><p>"Uh, yeah," he said. "You're the smart one, remember?"</p><p>"Ha, ha," Peter said, practically vibrating as he opened his sketchbook and showed Tony an absolutely perfect drawing of the passenger airliner that he and Peter had discussed over dinner the previous night. Tony chuckled as he studied the drawing, recalling the way Steve had simply watched them in quiet amusement as they talked through the design, managing to work out most of the logistics before Steve had even brought out dessert.</p><p>The dessert which had turned out to be only the very best blueberry pie that Tony had ever tasted, baked earlier in the day by his very own husband and son. Tony had enjoyed it so much that he'd even had a second piece, knowing that Steve and Peter would happily devour whatever he didn't finish.</p><p>He'd been doing a lot of that lately, the enjoying of things that he'd never before had the time or the means to enjoy. Simple things like taking a bath together with his husband at the end of a long day, and working in the garage with his son, who, despite the fact that he was growing as fast as an out-of-control weed, was as healthy as he could possibly be.</p><p>And, one of Tony's absolute favourites, watching as his husband and son worked together in the kitchen to prepare their meals, listening to their goofy, never-ending banter while he sat at their table finalising the designs for whatever latest thing Colonel Phillips was asking of him.</p><p><em>Passenger airliners, </em>Tony thought, shaking his head. <em>Who would've thought.</em></p><p>Tony had been fully aware that Project Phoenix would completely overhaul their entire world, especially since that'd been pretty much the entire point of it. But not even he could've predicted all the ways that things had changed in the last six months or so. Not only had the planetary energy crisis been completely abolished, but because energy was no longer a commodity that needed to be bought and sold—or price-gouged, as it were—every single citizen in both Langara and Meridia could now enjoy luxuries that were once considered so out-of-reach that they had been nothing but mere fantasies.</p><p>And he, Steve, and Peter were all right there, smack dab in the middle of all of it. Designing aircraft capable of transporting hundreds of people at a time, reinvigorating the entire planetary economy with the creation of tens of thousands of different types of jobs, and establishing things like labour laws and employee safety practises that would ensure plenty of time for the working people to actually enjoy some of their new amenities.</p><p>And it had all been accomplished with the input and expertise of the three Stark-Rogers men.</p><p>And while it wasn't exactly the future that Tony had envisioned for Peter, he and Steve had long-since decided that as long as their son was happy, that was really all that mattered.</p><p>Better for the Stark name to be spoken with awe and praise, rather than spat out like a curse.</p><p>"Dad?" Peter asked as he bounced impatiently on his feet, his huge brown eyes filled to the brim with curiosity and excitement. "What do you think?"</p><p>Tony breathed in, his lips twitching into a smile. "It's perfect, buddy," he said softly. "When I see Colonel Phillips tomorrow I'll let him know that we can go ahead with the construction."</p><p>Peter squealed, raking his long fingers through his unruly curls.</p><p>"Really? Oh, that's awesome, Dad!" he exclaimed. Then he shifted on his feet, fiddling with the binding on his sketchbook. "Um… do you think that we'll ever have time to go on one of these… vacations? My friend Ned at school told me that his family's planning one for our next school break, and I just thought… well… it sounds like it'd be a lot of fun."</p><p>Tony bit his lip. As much as he'd heard similar stories from a few different people, he couldn't see how they could possibly—</p><p>"It's funny you should say that, little guy," Steve cut in as he suddenly appeared in the garage. Tony's heart fluttered at the sight of him, looking like the poster boy of hotness in his Air Corps uniform and his wire-rimmed, aviator sunglasses. He'd just come straight from a meeting with the president and his Air Corps staff, and obviously had some good news, if the wide smile on his beautiful face was any indication.</p><p>"Funny I should say, what, Papa?" Peter asked.</p><p>"Yeah, <em>Papa,</em>" Tony said, delighting in the light pink blush that worked its way up Steve's cheeks. "Do enlighten us, hmm?"</p><p>"Well…" Steve said as he stepped forward, leaning down to peck Tony on the lips. "I might've just arranged for the three of us to take a trip on one of our brand-new airliners, and—"</p><p>"You did?" Peter asked eagerly. "Oh, Papa, that's so awesome! Where're we going?"</p><p>"If you'd've let me finish, Peter, I could've told you," Steve said. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out a folded set of papers. "Bucky and Sam just got back from that new ski resort out in the mountains that's been on the news lately, so—"</p><p>"Woohoo!" Peter yelped. "We're gonna go skiing!" He threw his arms around Steve's neck, nearly knocking him backwards. "Thank you, Papa! This is gonna be so awesome!"</p><p>"You're welcome, Peter," Steve said as he patted Peter's back, kissing his cheek before he released him. "So, how's it been going in here?"</p><p>"Not too bad," answered Tony. "Looks like Colonel Phillips is gonna get the designs of both of the new airliners tomorrow instead of just the one."</p><p>"Both of them already?" asked Steve. "Wow. You guys work fast!"</p><p>"Well, that's what happens when our kid is a genius," Tony said.</p><p>"Yeah, don't I know it," agreed Steve. He looked fondly over at Peter, who had already begun drafting out a larger version of his airliner design on the blueprint paper.</p><p>"It okay if I take him out on the lake for a bit before dinner?" Steve whispered. "Give you a break for awhile?"</p><p>"Absolutely, honey," Tony replied. "You know how much he loves that."</p><p>Steve smiled, flashing the dimple that never failed to get Tony weak in the knees. "Well, I have to admit that I'm a bit partial to it myself," he said, planting a kiss on Tony's temple before placing his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Hey, little guy. You feel like doing a quick fishing trip before dinner?"</p><p>Peter raised his head, his curls flopping as he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, Papa! That sounds great!"</p><p>"Perfect," said Steve. "Go on and get your stuff, okay?"</p><p>Tony chuckled as Peter scrambled to fetch his fishing supplies, winding his arms around Steve's waist as Steve's arm wrapped around his shoulders.</p><p>"We won't be gone long," Steve said.</p><p>"Sounds good." Tony tilted his head up, pressing a lingering kiss to Steve's lips. "'Cause I got some pretty big plans for you tonight, babe."</p><p>"Oh, you have some plans for me?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. "This I've gotta see!"</p><p>Tony's lips curled into a smirk as he kissed that sensitive spot under Steve's jaw, smirking when he shuddered. "Soon as the kid goes to bed, honey. After that, you're all mine."</p><p>"Aw, man! Are you guys being all smooshy again?" Peter said as he reappeared, fishing pole and tackle box in-hand.</p><p>"Smooshy?" Steve asked, laughing. "What does that mean?"</p><p>Peter shrugged. "That's just what Auntie Carol always calls it whenever you two are acting all lovey-dovey. Which is pretty much all the time."</p><p>"Well…" Tony said, trailing off when he realised that he had no argument. After almost four months of marriage, he and Steve's desire for each other hadn't yet waned in the slightest.</p><p>If anything, it had grown.</p><p>"Ah, it's okay," said Peter. "She and Uncle James are pretty smooshy too, they just don't show it as much as you guys do."</p><p>"Well, anyway," Steve said, clearing his throat. "Give me five minutes to get changed and then we'll go. Okay, little guy?"</p><p>"Uh huh. I'll go and get the boat ready."</p><p>True to his word, not even five minutes later Steve had reappeared in the garage, looking as dashing as ever in a blue long-sleeved t-shirt that exactly matched his eyes, and a pair of fitted jeans that showed off his magnificently round ass to perfection.</p><p>"You really are trying to torture me here, aren't you?" Tony said as Steve picked up his fishing pole.</p><p>"Who, me?" he said, shooting Tony a wink that was anything but innocent. "I have no idea what you mean."</p><p>"Yeah, right, hot stuff," Tony laughed. He stole another kiss, giving Steve's ass a quick squeeze. "Love you, honey."</p><p>Steve smiled, a warm, content smile that sent warm fuzzies fluttering across Tony's insides. "I love you too, sweetheart."</p><p>Because if any word could describe Tony's life now, it was that.</p><p>
  <em>Content.</em>
</p><p>No longer was Tony forced to work for the very same government that had effectively ruined his father's life. No longer did he have to worry about whether Peter would survive another day. No longer was he buried under an almost unthinkable accumulation of debt, all because he refused to give up on the son that he loved beyond reason.</p><p>And no longer was he in any of it alone.</p><p>Now, Tony had a partner. Someone who not only loved him passionately and unconditionally, but who also loved his son as if he were his very own flesh and blood.</p><p>"See ya, Dad!" Peter called from the lake, waving as Steve steered their small fishing boat away from the dock.</p><p>"Have fun, buddy!" Tony called back, warmth spreading across his chest as he watched his two boys motor away until they disappeared into the sunlight beaming off the water.</p><p>"I love you," he whispered happily, the sentiment meant for both of his sweet boys. Then he picked up Peter's discarded drafting pencil, adjusted his desk lamp, and went back to work on the airliner design, already daydreaming of their upcoming ski vacation.</p><p>What had started as a cockamaime way to bribe the government into saving Peter's life, Project Phoenix had somehow managed to transform not only their planet, but Tony's entire life as well.</p><p>Because their phoenix had not only been reborn from its own ashes, it had also carried Steve safely home from space on its wings and healed Peter's broken heart with its tears.</p><p>And, most importantly, it had taught all three of them to <em>soar.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>THE END.</strong>
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  <em> <strong>Stop by and see me on tumblr, I’m <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geekymoviemom">geekymoviemom</a> and <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/geeky-writes">geeky-writes</a> there!  😊 </strong> </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I do have more stories in the works.  I am currently working on a Reylo story that I am extremely excited about as it will involve another one of my very favourite fandoms, as well as a sweet Superfamily one-shot and plotting out my next Superfamily multi-chapter 😊 </p><p>And as always, I can’t wait to see what you think!  Please don’t forget to hit that kudos button and leave me a comment!  💖</p>
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